Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) morbidity rate in the Polish population, calculated per 1,000 inhabitants of a given province, taking into account the differences between urban and rural areas, gender and area of residence (province) 2008–2012.

Material and Methods:
From the NFZ IT systems information was obtained on the treatment of patients who had M08 and M09 juvenile arthritis, diseases classified elsewhere by the ICD-10 diagnosis code in the settlement report of the hospital. The number of patients, their gender and age at individual diagnoses were calculated based on the PESEL number provided in the statistical reports of the patient with the analysed ICD-10 diagnosis. Urban and rural cases were compared using commune zip codes. The basic for classifying the patient as a member of a urban or rural population was the zip code of the declared place of residence.

Results:
In Poland, the number of patients suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis has been increasing since 2008 – from 9.2 thousand in 2008 to 11.4 thousand in 2012. The majority were girls (approx. 62%). Most patients were living in urban areas; in 2008, 5.9 thousand: urban areas – 64% of women and 36% of men; 3.2 thousand: rural areas – 62% of women, 38% of men); in 2012, 7.2 thousand – urban areas); 4.2 thousand – rural areas. The morbidity indicators ranged from 0.195 – 0.357 per 1,000 inhabitants, depending on the year, gender and place of residence (province and commune).