Pectus carinatum is the second most common chest abnormality, occurring in 1 in every 1500 births (0.07%); meaning that over 100,000 people in the United States are living with this condition.
However, some studies have suggested that the true incidence of pectus carinatum may be higher than previously thought. One study from Brazil reported that 0.7% of middle schoolers surveyed had pectus carinatum. Similarly, an incidence rate of 0.6% has been reported for middle school students from Turkey.