On Dec. 18, 2025, new national and state data was released by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) projects that chronic disease is on pace to cost the United States as much as $47 trillion between 2024 and 2039, including $2.2 trillion annually in medical costs and nearly $900 billion each year in lost productivity by 2039.

The analysis, conducted by GlobalData, highlights a stark reality: 5% of people account for nearly 50% of total health care spending, driven largely by the growth of patients living with three or more chronic conditions. By 2039, the combined per-person medical and productivity cost of chronic disease could reach $12,900 per U.S. resident if meaningful action is not taken.

However, the data also points to a powerful opportunity. Better prevention, earlier intervention, and improved management of chronic disease, especially obesity, could prevent 150 million new chronic disease cases, save 13.5 million lives, and avoid $7 trillion in costs nationally between 2024 and 2039. 

Even modest behavioral changes and improvements in care delivery could save $125 billion per year, while treatment breakthroughs and more optimistic prevention scenarios could generate $465 billion in annual savings.

The PFCD is an internationally-recognized organization of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs: chronic disease.