Current trends and projections for potential acupuncture needs globally and in China - evidence from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Sep 30, 2026

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Acupuncture plays a vital role in managing musculoskeletal, neurological, gastrointestinal, and cancer-related conditions, yet it remains under-prioritized and under-resourced globally and in China. This study estimates potential acupuncture needs by calculating prevalence, YLDs, and EAPC for eight disease categories amenable to acupuncture using the GBD 2021 database. Results show large numbers of individuals with acupuncture-benefiting conditions in 2021, with neurological disorders leading needs, and projections growing substantially by 2045.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Background

Clinical relevance and applications

Policy and guideline adoption

Yin et al. Chinese Medicine (2026) 21:12 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s13020-025-01286-9](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13020-025-01286-9) Chinese Medicine RESEARCH Open Access Current trends and projections for potential acupuncture needs globally and in China: evidence from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 Zihan Yin1,2†, Ziwen Chen1,2†, Fanrong Liang1,2* and Ling Zhao1,2* Abstract Background Acupuncture plays a vital role in managing musculoskeletal, neurological, gastrointestinal, and cancerrelated conditions and significantly improves individual quality of life and societal well-being. However, despite its demonstrated benefits, it remains under-prioritized and under-resourced globally and in China. Thus, the present study aimed to explore global and Chinese data on the number of patients who would benefit from acupuncture at least once during the course of their illness. Methods To estimate the potential need for acupuncture, data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database were used to calculate the prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) for eight disease categories (including 20 health conditions) identified as amenable to acupuncture, both globally and in China, thereby assessing current needs. Decomposition analysis was conducted to identify the key contributors to changes in acupuncture needs, and a Bayesian age-period-cohort model was applied to forecast future needs. Results In 2021, an estimated 6.50 (95% uncertainty intervals [UI] 5.64 to 7.48) billion individuals globally had conditions that would benefit from acupuncture, contributing to 306.47 (95% UI 185.17 to 469 . 90) million YLDs—representing increases of 70. 65% and 79. 83% from 1990, with EAPCs of 0.02 and − 0 . 04, respectively. In China, 1.06 (95% UI 0.91 to 1. 24) billion individuals had such conditions, accounting for 55.68 (95% UI 33.80 to 85 . 13) million YLDs—up 55. 63% and 65. 13% from 1990, with EAPCs of 0.10 and − 0 . 13, respectively. Globally and in China, neurological disorders represent the greatest need for acupuncture, with tension-type headaches being the leading specific condition. Decomposition analyses revealed an increased need for acupuncture, with a positive contribution from population growth and aging, both worldwide and in China. By 2045, the number of individuals projected to require acupuncture services is expected to reach 9.68 billion globally and 1.35 billion in China, contributing to 657.81 million and 80.76 million YLDs, respectively. †Zihan Yin and Ziwen Chen have contributed equally to this work and share first authorship. *Correspondence: Fanrong Liang[acuresearch@126.com](acuresearch@126.com)[ ](acuresearch@126.com)Ling Zhao [zhaoling@cdutcm.edu.cn](zhaoling@cdutcm.edu.cn) Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ()[. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Do

FAQs

What is the main goal of this study on acupuncture needs?

To explore global and China data estimating how many patients would benefit from acupuncture at least once during their illness course.

How does the study estimate potential acupuncture demand?

It uses the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database to calculate prevalence, YLDs, and EAPC for eight acupuncture-amenable disease categories, then applies decomposition and Bayesian age-period-cohort modeling to forecast future needs.

Which conditions drive the greatest acupuncture need, and what do projections suggest?

Neurological disorders represent the greatest need globally and in China, with tension-type headaches as a leading specific condition. By 2045, the number of individuals projected to require acupuncture services is expected to rise to 9.68 billion globally and 1.35 billion in China.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious