The 2021 and 2023 UEMS study investigated the organization of rheumatology care in 17 European countries through a structured questionnaire. The research revealed substantial differences in the number of rheumatologists between countries, ranging from 0.7 to 5.1 per 100,000 population, with significant differences in the number of full-time and part-time workers. Rheumatology care in Europe operates on the basis of different models – some countries rely predominantly on hospital outpatient clinics, while others favor private practice. Non-clinical duties such as administration, teaching and research take up to 40% of rheumatologists' working time in some medical facilities. Non-inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases account for approximately 23% of all rheumatology consultations, and their treatment varies significantly between countries. The study highlights the need for context-specific workforce planning and serves as a basis for the EULAR "RheumaFacts" initiative to create a single comparative database of data on rheumatology workforce, demand and needs in Europe.