Hip replacement is one of the most frequently performed surgeries in the United States, with roughly 544,000 procedures done each year. That number continues to climb as the population ages, and projections suggest it could nearly triple by 2040. Whether you’re considering the surgery yourself or just curious about how routine it has become, here’s what the numbers show.
How Many Hip Replacements Happen Each Year
In the U.S., about 544,000 hip replacements are performed annually, according to the American College of Rheumatology. For context, that’s more than coronary bypass surgeries and appendectomies combined. Hip replacement trails only knee replacement (roughly 790,000 per year) among joint replacement procedures.
Globally, the procedure is most common in wealthy nations with aging populations. The OECD average sits at 198 hip replacements per 100,000 people. Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Finland, and Denmark have some of the highest rates in the world, while countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica perform far fewer. The variation partly reflects differences in population age, access to orthopedic care, and how aggressively each country’s healthcare system treats joint disease.
Who Gets Hip Replacements
The vast majority of hip replacement patients are over 50. NHS data from England shows that 93.8% of hip replacement patients fall into that age group, with the largest share (51.9%) being over 70. Patients between 50 and 69 account for another 41.9%. People under 50 make up a small but growing slice of the total.
Women undergo hip replacement more often than men, representing about 59% of all procedures compared to 41% for men. This gap likely reflects the higher rates of osteoarthritis in women, particularly after menopause, when hormonal changes accelerate cartilage breakdown.
Osteoarthritis is the overwhelming reason people need a new hip. While specific percentages vary by study, rheumatoid arthritis accounts for only about 3.4% of hip replacements. The remaining cases include hip fractures (especially in older adults after falls), avascular necrosis (where bone tissue dies due to reduced blood supply), and congenital hip conditions.
The Numbers Are Rising Fast
Hip replacement demand is projected to grow dramatically over the coming decades. Researchers using national hospital data have forecast the following annual volumes for the U.S.:
- 2025: approximately 652,000 procedures (a 75% increase over 2014 levels)
- 2030: approximately 850,000 procedures (a 129% increase)
- 2040: approximately 1.4 million procedures (a 284% increase)
Several forces are driving this growth. The baby boomer generation is moving deeper into the age range where hip arthritis becomes debilitating. At the same time, younger and more active patients are increasingly willing to pursue surgery rather than live with chronic pain, and improvements in implant technology have made the procedure viable for a broader range of people.
How the Surgery Has Changed
One of the biggest shifts in recent years is where the surgery takes place. Historically, hip replacement meant a multi-day hospital stay. That’s changing quickly. Between 2019 and 2021, inpatient hip replacements dropped by 55%, while outpatient procedures (where patients go home the same day) increased by 751%. Over the full decade from 2010 to 2021, about 12% of hip replacements were performed on an outpatient basis, but that share is now growing rapidly.
This shift was accelerated by regulatory changes that allowed hospitals and surgery centers to bill for outpatient hip replacement, combined with less invasive surgical techniques and better pain management protocols. For many patients, same-day discharge is now a realistic option, particularly those who are relatively healthy, have strong support at home, and don’t have complicating conditions like diabetes or obesity.
How Long Hip Implants Last
Modern hip implants are remarkably durable. Data from national joint registries across multiple countries shows that about 94% of hip replacements in Australia are still functioning without revision at the 15-year mark. At 20 years, survival rates range from 83% to 91% depending on the country, with Australia reporting the best long-term outcomes.
Implant longevity has also improved over time. A comparison of registry data found that the 20-year survival rate climbed from about 85% to 90% between earlier and more recent studies, reflecting advances in implant materials and surgical technique. For most patients, a hip replacement received today has a strong chance of lasting two decades or more.
How Often Second Surgeries Are Needed
Revision surgery, where an existing implant is replaced or repaired, makes up a meaningful but relatively small portion of all hip procedures. Between 2016 and 2022, about 102,500 revision hip replacements were performed in the U.S., compared to roughly 815,000 primary (first-time) procedures. That puts revisions at approximately 11% of total hip surgery volume.
Revisions are typically more complex than the original surgery, with longer recovery times and somewhat less predictable outcomes. The most common reasons include implant loosening, infection, dislocation, and wear of the bearing surfaces over many years. Younger patients face a higher lifetime risk of eventually needing a revision simply because they have more years of use ahead of them, which is one reason surgeons sometimes recommend delaying the procedure when pain is still manageable.