Is pectus excavatum common? In fact, pectus excavatum is a very common type of chest deformity, accounting for over 90% of all anterior chest wall deformities. Additionally, the incidence rate of pectus excavatum is quite high; some statistics indicate a rate of one in four hundred people, while others say it's one in a thousand. This means that at least one in a thousand people has pectus excavatum, or even one in four hundred. The reason we might think that the incidence of pectus excavatum is not very high is because those affected typically do not voluntarily lift their shirts to show their condition to friends. However, if they go to the hospital wanting to address their condition, they will reveal their pectus excavatum to the doctor. Moreover, if not corrected, pectus excavatum tends to become more noticeable with age, particularly during the growth spurts of adolescence. Thus, pectus excavatum is actually a very common condition.