Gallstones are common, but estimates vary by population, year, and detection method. U.S. sources estimate that 10% to 15% of people—almost 25 million—have gallstones, while a 21st-century global meta-analysis estimated pooled prevalence at 6.1%.
Contents
- How common gallstones are in the United States
- Sex, age, and ethnicity patterns
- U.S. visits and hospital discharges
- U.S. treatment burden and costs
- Global prevalence and incidence
- German population study
- England treatment volumes and outcomes
How common gallstones are in the United States
The NIDDK Definition & Facts for Gallstones estimates that gallstones affect 10% to 15% of the U.S. population, or almost 25 million people. The same source says nearly 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with gallstones each year. About 25% of people diagnosed annually need treatment, usually surgery. These are estimates presented on a page reviewed in 2026, rather than a single-year national survey.
The estimates describe different stages of the condition. Prevalence refers to people living with gallstones, annual diagnoses describe new clinical recognition, and the treatment estimate describes the share of those diagnosed who need intervention. They should not be added together or treated as separate groups.
The NIDDK’s older national burden data also show substantial healthcare use. In 2004, U.S. ambulatory care recorded an estimated 1.8 million visits with a gallstone diagnosis, while all-listed ambulatory visits totaled 1.836 million, or 625 per 100,000 people. The distinction matters: the burden report’s tables are historical and mainly concern 2004 and earlier.
Sex, age, and ethnicity patterns
The NIDDK-hosted DDICC gallstone disease briefing summarizes NHANES III results from 1988–1994. Gallbladder disease prevalence was 7.9% among U.S. men and 16.6% among U.S. women. In Mexican American women, prevalence was 10% at ages 20–29 and reached 44% at ages 60–74.
NHANES III used a broader definition than a simple ultrasound count: the briefing describes gallbladder disease defined by gallstones or previous cholecystectomy. That definition means these figures are not directly interchangeable with the general NIDDK estimate or with studies using imaging alone.
| Group or measure | Reported result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. men, gallbladder disease | 7.9% | 1988–1994 |
| U.S. women, gallbladder disease | 16.6% | 1988–1994 |
| Mexican American women, ages 20–29 | 10% | 1988–1994 |
| Mexican American women, ages 60–74 | 44% | 1988–1994 |
The same DDICC Gallstone Disease: Research Challenges Meeting Minutes summarizes evidence in which 26% to 33% of men with gallstones ultimately underwent cholecystectomy, compared with 43% to 48% of women. The briefing was summarized in 2021, and the underlying follow-up period was not specified, so these percentages should not be read as a current annual surgery rate.
U.S. visits and hospital discharges
Age differences were visible in the NIDDK’s 2004 burden tables. For patients younger than 15, hospital discharges with an all-listed gallstone diagnosis totaled 4,000, or 6 per 100,000. Among patients aged 15–44, first-listed ambulatory visits totaled 443,000, or 352 per 100,000, and all-listed hospital discharges totaled 179,000, or 142 per 100,000.
Among people aged 45–64, all-listed ambulatory visits totaled 734,000, or 1,039 per 100,000, while hospital discharges totaled 180,000, or 255 per 100,000. For people aged 65 and older, ambulatory visits totaled 411,000, or 1,132 per 100,000, and hospital discharges totaled 259,000, or 713 per 100,000.
The 2004 data also reported differences by race and sex. Among White patients, all-listed ambulatory visits totaled 1.516 million, or 615 per 100,000; among Black patients, the total was 179,000, or 521 per 100,000. Women accounted for 1.358 million all-listed ambulatory visits, or 882 per 100,000, compared with 478,000 visits, or 336 per 100,000, among men.
Hospital discharges followed a similar sex pattern. Women had 406,000 all-listed hospital discharges, or 256 per 100,000, while men had 214,000, or 162 per 100,000. These figures count healthcare encounters, not unique individuals, and the source does not establish why rates differed between groups.
U.S. treatment burden and costs
The NIDDK Chapter 22: Gallstones reports that the age-adjusted rate of any gallstone-related ambulatory visit was 18% higher among White patients than Black patients in 2004. The age-adjusted rate was 162% higher among females than males. The hospitalization rate with a gallstone mention was 58% higher for women than men.
Hospitalization rates were also lower in 2004 than at the historical peak shown in the report: the U.S. gallstone hospitalization rate was 40% lower than its 1991 peak. Retail pharmacies dispensed 1.65 million prescriptions for gallstones in 2004, with a retail cost of $18.6 million.
Another comparison comes from the 2021 NIH-hosted briefing. U.S. hospitalizations for gallstone disease totaled approximately 350,000 in 1998 and 276,000 in 2014. Estimated annual U.S. gallstone disease costs fell from $4.2 billion in 2001 to $3.2 billion in 2014. These cost figures are estimates for their stated years, not current prices and not inflation-adjusted values unless the source specifies otherwise.
Taken together, the historical measures show that gallstones generated outpatient visits, admissions, prescriptions, and multi-billion-dollar annual costs. They also show why dates matter: a 2004 encounter count, a 2014 hospitalization total, and an estimate reviewed in 2026 answer different questions.
Global prevalence and incidence
The Global Epidemiology of Gallstones in the 21st Century: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis pooled studies published from January 2000 through November 18, 2023. It estimated global gallstone prevalence at 6.1%, with a 95% confidence interval of 5.6% to 6.5%. Prevalence was 7.6% among females and 5.4% among males.
The pooled estimate varied by region and country-income grouping. South America had an estimated prevalence of 11.2%, compared with 5.1% in Asia. Upper-middle-income countries had an estimated prevalence of 8.9%, while high-income countries had 4.0%.
Sensitivity analyses illustrate how study design changes the result. A population-based analysis estimated pooled prevalence at 5.5%, with a 95% confidence interval of 4.1% to 7.4%. An imaging-detection analysis estimated 6.7%, with a 95% confidence interval of 6.1% to 7.3%. The meta-analysis estimated incidence at 0.47 per 100 person-years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.37 to 0.51.
The older DDICC briefing, summarized in 2021, reports much higher prevalence in some populations: 50%–70% in high-prevalence Indigenous populations in North and South America and 20%–30% in Northern Europe. It reports prevalence below 5% in Sub-Saharan Africa and 4%–5% in East Asian countries including China, Japan, and Thailand. These are geographic estimates summarized from earlier evidence and should not be treated as measurements from one synchronized survey.
German population study
The German population-based study used ultrasound detection. In 2002, gallbladder stones were found in 69 of 1,909 participants, a prevalence of 3.8%. In the 2013 follow-up sample, stones were found in 41 of 380 participants, or 10.8%.
Within the 2013 follow-up sample, prevalence was 15.1% among German women, based on 26 of 172 participants, and 7.2% among German men, based on 15 of 208 participants. No gallbladder stones were detected among participants aged 18–30 in that 2013 sample.
During the 2002–2013 follow-up, average annual incidence was 1.03% among Germans aged 41–50. Average annual incidence was 1.04% among German women and 0.53% among German men. These results come from the study’s follow-up analysis and describe its participants, age groups, ultrasound method, and observation period—not all people in Germany.
England treatment volumes and outcomes
The 2023 NHS England decision aid, Making a decision about gallstones reported about 57,000 laparoscopic gallbladder-removal operations each year in England and about 3,000 open operations each year. It described laparoscopic surgery as taking 60–90 minutes and open surgery as taking 2–2.5 hours. ERCP to remove bile-duct gallstones was described as taking 30–60 minutes.
For an uncomplicated recovery, the decision aid estimated 7–10 days after laparoscopic gallbladder removal and about 6 weeks after open surgery for a normal routine. These are procedure and recovery estimates reported in 2023, not guarantees for every patient.
The NHS England evidence summary also reported one-year outcomes for mild or moderate gallstone pain. After choosing no surgery, 50%–60% of people still had pain at one year. After gallbladder-removal surgery, 40%–50% had no pain at one year. About 10% reported looser stools after gallbladder removal. NHS England notes that these percentages are descriptive averages from cited clinical studies, not individualized medical advice.
Across these studies, the central measurement limits are consistent: definitions differ, detection methods differ, and the years do not line up. U.S. burden tables are historical, the NHANES figures describe gallbladder disease defined by gallstones or previous cholecystectomy, and the global review combines studies using differing detection methods. Keeping those limits visible is essential when comparing gallstones statistics across countries or decades.