Official Social Insurance Institution data on inability to work, sick leaves and disability benefits were analysed. From 2001 to 2005 the number of persons unable to work suffering from rheumatic diseases decreased from 100 thousand to 72 thousand. The most common causes of inability to work are spinal conditions and osteoarthrosis. Moreover, spinal diseases constitute 69% of absenteeism. Men form the majority of the group with certificated inability to work (about 60 per cent). Persons on sick leaves in 2005 numbered 4 999 thousand and among them 656 thousand received sick leave because of rheumatic diseases. General absenteeism was 211 552 thousand days in 2005 and in the same year 28 711 thousand days of absence from the workplace were caused by rheumatic diseases (14% of general absenteeism). Costs of social benefits received by ill and disabled persons make up 2.6% of gross national product. Unfortunately official statistics could not isolate rheumatic people from those figures