OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease associated with substantial clinical and socioeconomic burden. MS patients experience increasing levels of disability as their disease progresses and this can represent a major cause for reduced work capacity. This study evaluates work productivity using Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire for RRMS and SPMS patients across Europe. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Adelphi MS Disease Specific Programme, a cross-sectional study of 360 neurologists and 3641 patients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Patient-reported data was available for 881 RRMS patients and 142 SPMS patients. Fisher’s Exact or Chi-Squared (for categorical outcomes) and Mann-Whitney (for numerical outcomes) were used to determine differences between RRMS and SPMS patients. RESULTS: Compared with RRMS patients, SPMS patients differ significantly in employment status (p<0.0001); SPMS patients are less likely to be employed in full-time (8.0% vs. 50.0 %), part time positions (16.8% vs. 17.8%) or be students (1.8% vs 7.9%), and are more likely to be unemployed (15.0% vs. 9.8%), unable to be employed (23.0% vs. 4.0%), retired (23.0% vs 3.4%) or homemakers (12.4% vs 7.2%). Analyses for the WPAI questionnaire included 523 RRMS and 29 SPMS patients. Significant differences were observed between RRMS and SPMS patients in absenteeism (22.2% vs. 8.5%; p=0.034), presenteeism (34.4% vs 23.4%; p=0.021) and overall impairment (42.0% vs 25.7%; p=0.004). SPMS patients have a higher mean percentage of daily activity impairment due to MS than RRMS patients (65.00% vs 34.56%; p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Across Europe, SPMS patients experience a higher burden of illness and significantly greater magnitude of reduced work productivity than RRMS patients. SPMS patients are less likely to be employed full-time, and for those that are employed, work and activity impairment are significantly greater in SPMS vs RRMS patients.