How common is chronic kidney disease in the UK – and what does it cost?
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7.2 million people have CKD, with 3.25 million in Stages 3-5
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£6.4 billion per year.
1. Chronic kidney disease affects 13% of the global population
2. In the UK, approximately 3.25 million adults are living with chronic kidney disease stages 3-5, and a total of 7.2 million adults have chronic kidney disease (all stages), more than 10% of the population
3. By 2033, the number of people living with all stages of chronic kidney disease is projected to reach 7.6 million. This is mainly driven by an ageing population as well as risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease
4. Amongst those with chronic kidney disease, the proportion with later-stage chronic kidney disease (3-5) is expected to increase from 45% (3.25 million) to 51% (3.9 million)
5. Around 615,000 episodes of acute kidney injury occur each year, mainly among those who are already unwell or hospitalised for another reason. By 2033, the number of acute kidney injury episodes is projected to rise by 4% to 637,000
6. The total economic burden of CKD to the NHS is £6.4 billion attributable to direct costs to the NHS – about 3.2% of NHS budgets across the four nations. The total burden of kidney disease could rise to £13.9 billion by 2033
7. There is a further estimated £372 million in productivity loss to the UK economy from from missed work due to dialysis alone. Productivity loss in the UK could reach up to £2.0 billion by 2033, as a higher proportion of patients continue living with end-stage kidney disease
8. In 2023, the cost of dialysis for people with end-stage kidney disease is £1.05 billion annually, or 0.53% of the NHS budget. The cost to the NHS of dialysis to manage kidney disease (per person) is £34,000 per year – more than three times the annual value of a state pension.
Summary
We have described how common is chronic kidney disease in the UK – and what does it cost? We hope it has been helpful.
Other resource
This information is based on this article by Kidney Research UK in 2023: https://www.kidneyresearchuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Economics-of-Kidney-Disease-full-report_accessible.pdf
Last Reviewed on 4 April 2024