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Most cases of chronic pancreatitis (CP) are diagnosed between the ages of 40-60 The incidence of chronic pancreatitis is thought to be approximately 1.6-23 cases per 100,000 people worldwide according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and is thought to be rising in part due to increasing alcohol consumption. The incidence of CP in all Western countries is approximately 6 per 100,000 people. There is a predominance of males in almost all age groups, although the rate of chronic pancreatitis in women is rising. Among some of the various types of CP, the ages of onset include:

• 36 years old for alcoholic pancreatitis
• 10 years old for hereditary pancreatitis
• 23 years old for idiopathic early-onset pancreatitis
• 62 years old for idiopathic late-onset pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is not reported as often as acute pancreatitis possibly because it does not occur as frequently and is not responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality associated with pancreatitis. Also, CP is more difficult to identify and diagnose due to the overlap of many symptoms with acute pancreatitis, as well as the several different classification systems and criteria for diagnosis and treatment of CP. Acute pancreatitis and CP are often misdiagnosed by physicians who are not familiar with the subtle distinctions.