We estimated resource use and costs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), thereby providing baseline data for future economic evaluations of therapeutic interventions. Data were collected from medical records of a South Swedish cohort of 127 PD patients during 1 year (1996) and a mailed questionnaire inquiring about cost-related consequences and resource use in 1996 and in 2000. Annual costs were calculated based on prevalence and expressed in SEK (monetary value of the year 2000). Direct health care costs averaged approximately SEK 29,000 ( approximately USD 2,900; EUR 3,200) per patient per year, of which drugs were the most costly component. Nonmedical direct costs were higher than direct health care costs, averaging approximately SEK 43,000 ( approximately USD 4,300; EUR 4,800) per patient per year, and costs due to lost production were approximately SEK 52,000 ( approximately USD 5,200; EUR 5,800) per patient per year. The mean total annual cost for PD in our sample approximated SEK 124,000 ( approximately USD 12,400; EUR 13,800) per patient. These findings are roughly within the same range as estimates from other countries and show that PD causes a considerable societal burden. In addition to other outcomes, evaluations of the economic implications of new therapeutic interventions are highly warranted. In this perspective, the present study provides valuable baseline data.