Chronic illness surges across all ages, hitting younger adults hardest by 2025
Chronic illness is rising sharply across all adult age groups, with younger people now facing health problems once seen only in older generations. Between 2017 and 2025, the share of adults with long-term conditions jumped from 28% to 36%, while those with multiple illnesses climbed by 10 percentage points to 19%. Experts warn that without stronger policies, these trends will deepen inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes. The increase in chronic disease is not just due to an ageing population. Research shows 71% of the surge comes from worsening health within age groups themselves. Younger adults, in particular, have seen an eight-percentage-point rise in chronic illness in both the 15–29 and 45–64 brackets. This shift means conditions are appearing earlier and becoming more complex over time.
Economic hardship is also playing a major role. In 2025, adults in financial distress were 23.5 percentage points more likely to suffer from a chronic illness than those in higher socioeconomic groups. The gap has widened dramatically: in 2017, 26% of struggling individuals had long-term conditions, but by 2025, that figure had nearly doubled to 49%. For those with multiple illnesses, the disparity between rich and poor grew from four percentage points to 27 in the same period.
Health authorities now stress the need for better prevention, more integrated care models, and fewer barriers to treatment. Without action, the growing burden of chronic disease will place even greater strain on healthcare systems and widen existing inequalities. The rise in chronic illness—especially among younger and poorer populations—demands urgent policy changes. Strengthening prevention, improving disease management, and ensuring fair access to care are critical next steps. Without these measures, health disparities will continue to grow, leaving more people with complex, long-term conditions.
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