Abstract: To determine the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in rural population and w orkers of oil field,a study of 17044 population in Rizhao,Dongying,Weihai and Shengli oil field was conducted.The result showed that the crude prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was 0.6923% and the standard prevalence was 0.3998%.The prevalence of population above 20 years old was 1.3021%.The prevalence was 1.03545% in fehales and 0.3432% in males,the ratio of males vs.females was 1:3.02.On the age distribution,the highest prevalence was at 50 in male and 40 age groups in female,average age with RA was 45.9 in male and 42 years old in female.On area distribution,the highest prevalence was in Dongying,its stanlard prevalence was 0.7445% the lowest prevalenee was in Weihai,its standard prevalence was 0.092b%.