OBJECTIVES: To estimate the costs associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) for Russia in 2009. METHODS: We used the standard cost of illness (COI) method adopting the viewpoint of the payers (national and regional governments). The data was obtained from the national statistics, registries, expert panel interviews and literature. The costs were calculated for the total population of JIA patients in Russia in 2009. We calculated direct medical costs (based on national reimbursement rates and regional data on drug costs), non-medical costs (social benefits expenditures) and indirect costs –productivity loss due to the necessity of providing care for patients by  parents. Indirect costs were assessed using friction costs method. RESULTS: The total costs of JIA in Russia in 2009 was 1.175 billion RUR (€28,48 mln), or 76,013 RUR (€1843) per patient per year. The highest per person costs were attributed to patients with systemic JIA – 189,489 RUR (€4594), the lowest - with oligoarticular type of JIA (40,223 RUR (€975)).The costs for handicapped child  were 3.9 times higher than for those without disability, mostly because of different social benefits. The direct medical costs accounted for 31,5% of total spending, direct non-medical costs – for 55,6%, and indirect costs  – for 12,8%. The share of direct non-medical costs in the overall spending was lower in less severe patients: 58.3% for the systemic JIA, 57.7% for the polyarticular and 46.4% for the oligoarticular type of JIA. Direct nonmedical costs represented 75.8% of total costs for handicapped child versus 42.8% in patient without such status. CONCLUSIONS: JIA represents significant social and economic burden for the state. The costs for handicapped child are several times higher than for the one without disability due to social benefits payments.