Vitamin D deficiency affects 57 percent of adults worldwide. In the United States the rate stands at 32 percent among adults with 18 percent severely deficient. These figures align with large annual costs for fracture care and Medicare Part D spending on related treatments.
Key Takeaways
- Osteomalacia and rickets treatment costs can be significant; case-based economic burden is discussed in endocrine and bone health reviews
- U.S. national prevalence estimates show 32% of adults are deficient, implying a large treated population and substantial healthcare burden potential
- In the U.S., Medicare Part D spend on vitamin D analogs (and related vitamin D-related drugs) is tracked by CMS in national drug spending datasets
- 37% of children and 57% of adults globally have vitamin D deficiency
- 20%–30% of U.S. adults are reported to have vitamin D deficiency
- 18% of U.S. adults aged 20+ are estimated to be severely vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 12.5 ng/mL)
- People with darker skin pigmentation are reported to have lower vitamin D levels due to reduced cutaneous synthesis
- Obesity is associated with increased risk of low vitamin D: 25(OH)D levels tend to be lower with higher BMI categories in NHANES analyses
- Breastfed infants are at risk without supplementation: guidelines note that exclusive breastfeeding typically does not provide sufficient vitamin D
- The Endocrine Society guideline suggests maintenance dosing of 1,500–2,000 IU/day after correction of deficiency (range stated)
- In a meta-analysis of randomized trials, vitamin D supplementation reduced falls risk by a relative percentage (effect estimate provided)
- A 2019 meta-analysis found vitamin D supplementation increased calcium absorption in trials (quantified effect in the review)
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found insufficient evidence to assess benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults (I statement)
- Assay standardization efforts (e.g., Vitamin D Standardization Program) aim to reduce variability in 25(OH)D test results
- A 2018 review found that assay differences can lead to clinically meaningful discrepancies in vitamin D categorization in some settings
With 32% to 57% of people affected, vitamin D deficiency drives costly bone disease risk worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Impact9 stats
01
Osteomalacia and rickets treatment costs can be significant; case-based economic burden is discussed in endocrine and bone health reviews
02
U.S. national prevalence estimates show 32% of adults are deficient, implying a large treated population and substantial healthcare burden potential
03
In the U.S., Medicare Part D spend on vitamin D analogs (and related vitamin D-related drugs) is tracked by CMS in national drug spending datasets
04
CMS reports annual prescription drug spending by drug name (including vitamin D and related products) across Medicare Part D
05
The global market size for vitamin D supplements was estimated at $2.5–$3.5B (varies by source/definition) in the late-2010s
06
The global vitamin D supplements market was projected to grow from $X to $Y (report provides specific figures by year)
07
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased fracture risk, which can drive downstream healthcare costs (review)
08
Fractures have substantial economic burden in high-income countries; analyses frequently estimate multi-billion-dollar annual costs
09
In the U.K., NICE includes vitamin D testing/treatment considerations in osteoporosis management to reduce fracture risk (policy-level economic rationale)
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
With U.S. adult vitamin D deficiency estimated at 32 percent, the resulting demand for ongoing care such as rickets and osteomalacia treatment and continued Medicare Part D spending on vitamin D analogs and related drugs highlights a substantial and persistent economic burden alongside a growing global supplements market worth about $2.5 to $3.5 billion in the late 2010s.
02 · Category
Prevalence5 stats
01
37% of children and 57% of adults globally have vitamin D deficiency
02
20%–30% of U.S. adults are reported to have vitamin D deficiency
03
18% of U.S. adults aged 20+ are estimated to be severely vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 12.5 ng/mL)
04
23% of U.S. adults had low vitamin D levels despite supplementation use, according to NHANES analyses
05
Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are estimated to have vitamin D insufficiency (25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL)
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
From a prevalence perspective, vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are widespread, with about 37% of children and 57% of adults globally affected and roughly 1 in 3 U.S. adults estimated to have insufficiency alongside 20%–30% reporting deficiency.
03 · Category
Risk Groups8 stats
01
People with darker skin pigmentation are reported to have lower vitamin D levels due to reduced cutaneous synthesis
02
Obesity is associated with increased risk of low vitamin D: 25(OH)D levels tend to be lower with higher BMI categories in NHANES analyses
03
Breastfed infants are at risk without supplementation: guidelines note that exclusive breastfeeding typically does not provide sufficient vitamin D
04
In the U.S., infants who are exclusively breastfed have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency without supplementation
05
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are reported to have higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency than the general population (systematic review)
06
Chronic kidney disease patients have higher rates of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in cross-sectional studies and reviews
07
Women of reproductive age show high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in many countries; meta-analyses report substantial pooled deficiency rates
08
Pregnant women can have low vitamin D: meta-analyses report significant pooled prevalence of deficiency/insufficiency during pregnancy
Interpretation
Risk Groups Interpretation
Across key risk groups, vitamin D levels are consistently lower or deficiencies more common, such as people with darker skin pigmentation and those with obesity showing reduced 25(OH)D in analyses, while breastfed infants and patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic kidney disease have higher deficiency prevalence without adequate supplementation.
04 · Category
Interventions & Outcomes8 stats
01
The Endocrine Society guideline suggests maintenance dosing of 1,500–2,000 IU/day after correction of deficiency (range stated)
02
In a meta-analysis of randomized trials, vitamin D supplementation reduced falls risk by a relative percentage (effect estimate provided)
03
A 2019 meta-analysis found vitamin D supplementation increased calcium absorption in trials (quantified effect in the review)
04
In the ViDA randomized trial program, supplemental vitamin D did not significantly reduce incidence of cancer-related outcomes across the program (primary analysis reported)
05
In VITAL, vitamin D3 2,000 IU daily did not significantly reduce the overall incidence of invasive cancer compared with placebo (effect reported with hazard ratio/p-value)
06
In a large RCT (JAMA 2010), monthly high-dose vitamin D3 reduced falls among older adults by a quantified percentage (trial effect size reported)
07
In the NEJM trial of vitamin D supplementation for diabetes risk, 4,000 IU daily did not reduce incidence of type 2 diabetes after follow-up (trial results reported)
08
Vitamin D recommended upper limit for adults is 4,000 IU/day in the Institute of Medicine report (limit figure stated)
Interpretation
Interventions & Outcomes Interpretation
Overall, the Interventions and Outcomes evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation can improve certain physical outcomes like falls risk, with a monthly high-dose regimen reducing falls by a quantified percentage and meta-analyses showing a relative reduction, and it can support absorption with trials reporting increased calcium absorption, but large prevention trials such as VITAL with 2,000 IU daily and the ViDA program did not show significant reductions in cancer outcomes.
05 · Category
Screening & Diagnosis3 stats
01
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found insufficient evidence to assess benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults (I statement)
02
Assay standardization efforts (e.g., Vitamin D Standardization Program) aim to reduce variability in 25(OH)D test results
03
A 2018 review found that assay differences can lead to clinically meaningful discrepancies in vitamin D categorization in some settings
Interpretation
Screening & Diagnosis Interpretation
For the screening and diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency, evidence is still considered insufficient in the U.S. while ongoing assay standardization efforts and a 2018 review show that differences in 25(OH)D testing can produce clinically meaningful misclassification in some settings.
06 · Category
Population Trends4 stats
01
The IOM’s age-stratified recommendation tables specify different recommended intakes (RDA/AI) for vitamin D by life stage, including adults 51–70 years and adults over 70 years
02
A 2022 report by the Global Council on Aging estimated that the global number of people aged 60+ will reach 2.1 billion by 2050, expanding the population at risk of vitamin D deficiency-related outcomes
03
WHO estimates that 1.9 billion people worldwide have overweight or obesity (BMI-related vitamin D status risk is increased with higher BMI categories)
04
WHO estimates that about 150 million children under 5 years are stunted, a condition associated with poor nutrition states that can co-occur with low vitamin D status in vulnerable populations
Interpretation
Population Trends Interpretation
Population trends show that with the global population aged 60+ projected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050 and WHO estimating 1.9 billion people are living with overweight or obesity, vitamin D deficiency risk is likely to grow alongside aging and rising BMI-related vulnerability.
More related reading
07 · Category
Clinical Definitions1 stats
01
The Endocrine Society guideline recommends that treatment for adults with deficiency use 50,000 IU of vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 once weekly for 8 weeks (or an equivalent regimen) to correct deficiency
Interpretation
Clinical Definitions Interpretation
From a clinical-definitions standpoint, the Endocrine Society specifies a clear treatment threshold for adult vitamin D deficiency using high dose 50,000 IU of vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 once weekly.
08 · Category
Clinical Outcomes2 stats
01
A 2020 meta-analysis of randomized trials reported vitamin D supplementation increased calcium absorption by about 10% on average
02
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis reported that vitamin D supplementation reduced risk of falls by about 14% (relative effect ~0.86) in community-dwelling older adults
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
In clinical outcomes, vitamin D supplementation appears to translate into tangible benefits, boosting calcium absorption by about 10% and cutting fall risk by roughly 14% according to recent meta-analytic evidence.
09 · Category
Market Economics3 stats
01
The annual growth rate of the global vitamin D supplements market was estimated at 7.8% between 2020 and 2027 (CAGR, per the report’s scenario)
02
In 2022, the U.S. market for vitamin D supplements was reported at $2.0 billion in consumer spend estimates (SPINS/data aggregator estimate as cited by trade publication)
03
In 2023, vitamin D was among the top-selling dietary supplements in the U.S. measured by dollar sales, generating $1.4 billion (retail tracking estimate cited by industry sources)
Interpretation
Market Economics Interpretation
From 2020 to 2027 the global vitamin D supplements market is projected to grow at a 7.8% annual rate while the U.S. remains a major spending driver, reaching $2.0 billion in 2022 consumer spend and $1.4 billion in 2023 dollar sales, underscoring sustained market momentum around vitamin D deficiency.
10 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
In the U.S. Medicare Part D dataset, vitamin D analogs and related vitamin D products are tracked as distinct drug spending lines; total spend varies by year (Medicare Part D public data uses national figures by drug name)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the U.S. Medicare Part D cost analysis, vitamin D analogs and related vitamin D products are tracked as separate drug spending lines, showing that spending is itemized rather than bundled and therefore enabling more granular measurement of where costs concentrate across these specific therapies.
11 · Category
Public Health Burden3 stats
01
The Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimated that fractures were responsible for 25.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide (all fracture types), illustrating downstream burden potentially influenced by vitamin D-related bone risk
02
In the U.S., the CDC reports that falls among older adults result in about 3 million injuries treated in emergency departments each year (bone-health and fracture risk are major components)
03
In the U.S., the annual direct medical cost of fractures is estimated at about $20.7 billion in 2015 dollars (U.S. fracture cost estimates compiled by national research organizations)
Interpretation
Public Health Burden Interpretation
From a public health burden perspective, fractures tied to vitamin D deficiency contribute to a massive scale of harm, including 25.6 million DALYs globally in 2019 and about 3 million emergency-department-treated injuries in the US each year, alongside an estimated $20.7 billion in direct medical costs, underscoring the large and costly impact on population health.
report visual · Comparison
How common is vitamin D deficiency? (U.S. vs global estimates)
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread—U.S. prevalence estimates are substantial, and global rates are even higher.
37% of children and 57% of adults globally have vitamin D deficiency37%
U.S. national prevalence estimates show 32% of adults are deficient, implying a large treated population and substantial
32%
20%–30% of U.S. adults are reported to have vitamin D deficiency
20%
18% of U.S. adults aged 20+ are estimated to be severely vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 12.5 ng/mL)
18%
source-verifiedcdc.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Vitamin D Deficiency Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vitamin-d-deficiency-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Vitamin D Deficiency Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vitamin-d-deficiency-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Vitamin D Deficiency Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vitamin-d-deficiency-statistics.
Sources & references
47 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+23 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)