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Global allergy research grows 7.59% annually but risk-factor studies dominate, burden data scarceAllergy research grows 7.6% yearly but misses key disease burden data

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Key Takeaway
Note that global allergy research is growing but heavily skewed toward risk factors, with insufficient burden-of-disease data.

This systematic bibliometric and evidence-mapping review analyzed 1,543 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus, covering global research on allergic disorder epidemiology from 2016 to 2025. The review mapped publication growth, leading journals, authors, countries, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution based on keyword co-occurrence and mapping, as well as the distribution of research across allergic phenotypes (prevalence, incidence, burden of disease, risk factors, outcomes).

The main findings show a scientific production annual growth rate of 7.59%. Risk-factor research dominated across all phenotypes, accounting for 83–89% of publications, while burden-of-disease studies were consistently scarce (specific percentage not reported). The review also identified leading countries and collaboration networks, but specific details on these were not provided in the input.

The authors acknowledge limitations including geographic concentration of research and a structural imbalance in the literature distribution. They note that addressing disparities through broader geographic inclusion and more balanced epidemiologic investigation will be essential to improve the completeness, comparability, and policy relevance of global allergy research. The findings highlight a need for more burden-of-disease studies to inform public health priorities.

A new analysis of global allergy research from 2016 to 2025 shows that scientific publications on allergic disorders are growing at 7.59% each year. The review looked at 1,543 publications from major databases and found that most studies focus on risk factors, making up 83 to 89 percent of the research across all allergic conditions. However, studies that measure the actual burden of disease, such as how many people are affected, how severe the illness is, or its impact on quality of life, are consistently scarce.

The research also revealed that the field is geographically concentrated, with most work coming from a few countries. This imbalance means that findings may not apply to people in other parts of the world. The review did not report any safety concerns or side effects, as it was not a clinical trial but a mapping of existing literature.

Because this is a bibliometric review, it describes trends in research output rather than testing a new treatment or finding a cause. The main limitation is that the data only come from two large databases, which may miss some studies. Readers should understand that while allergy research is growing, there are important gaps in understanding the true burden of allergic diseases worldwide.

What this means for you:
Allergy research is increasing, but more studies on disease burden are needed for a complete picture.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedJun 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Allergic diseases are highly prevalent worldwide and contribute substantially to morbidity and health-system burden. Bibliometric and evidence-mapping approaches can provide a comprehensive overview of research productivity, collaboration patterns, thematic structure, and distribution of evidence across epidemiologic domains, thereby identifying critical knowledge gaps. This study aimed to characterize global research trends in the epidemiology of allergic disorders from 2016 to 2025 using bibliometric and science-mapping techniques, complemented by evidence mapping. We analyzed 1,543 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus using Bibliometrix/biblioshiny and VOSviewer to evaluate publication growth, leading journals, authors, countries, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution based on keyword co-occurrence and mapping. An evidence-mapping framework was applied to quantify the distribution of research allergic phenotypes and epidemiologic fields including prevalence, incidence, burden of disease, risk factors, and outcomes. Scientific production increased steadily (annual growth rate 7.59%), with clear acceleration after 2020, reflecting growing research prioritization of allergic diseases. Scientific production was concentrated within a small group of leading countries, most notably the United States and China, whereas international collaboration remained largely confined to established regional networks rather than broadly distributed global partnerships. Keyword and thematic analyses demonstrated an asthma-centered research structure, with strong emphasis on pediatric populations, prevalence, and risk-factor studies. Evidence mapping revealed a markedly uneven distribution of the literature: risk-factor research dominated across all phenotypes (83–89%), whereas burden-of-disease studies were consistently scarce ( Global allergy epidemiology research has expanded substantially over the past decade but remains geographically concentrated and structurally imbalanced. The field is heavily centered on asthma and risk-factor research, while critical gaps persist in burden estimation, incidence data, and outcome-focused studies for several allergic phenotypes. Addressing these disparities through broader geographic inclusion and more balanced epidemiologic investigation will be essential to improve the completeness, comparability, and policy relevance of global allergy research.
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