Background & Aims: Although gout is one of the most common rheumatic diseases, world data is lacking because most studies have focused on industrialized countries. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the global burden of gout and associations with year of diagnosis, age, geographical region, sociodemographic status, and various further risk factors.

Methods: Retrospective data from Global Burden of Disease (GBD) was used, initially collected between 1990 and 2019. Raw numbers and age-standardized rates (per 100,000 persons) of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) of gout were extracted from GBD 2019 for 204 countries and territories and stratified by sex, age, year, sociodemographic index, and geographic region. Correlations between gout and other chronic diseases were identified, and the burden attributable to high body-mass index (BMI) and kidney dysfunction was described.

Results: The total number of patients and gout age-standardized prevalence rate increased between 1990 and 2019. Gout was most prevalent in Australasia and high-income North America, and a higher socio demographic index (SDI) was associated with higher age-standardized prevalence, incidence, and YLDs. High BMI and kidney dysfunction were risk factors for gout, while gout was correlated with other kidney diseases.

Conclusions: The global prevalence of gout, as well as incidence, and YLDs increased worldwide from 1990 to 2019, and had a significant association with sex, age, geographic region, SDI, and risk factors. Understanding the complex interplay of environmental, sociodemographic, and geographic risk factors is essential in mitigating the ever-rising disease burden of gout.