The influence of socioeconomic factors on access to disease modifying treatment in a Norwegian multiple sclerosis cohort

•The paper present the study of a population-based Norwegian MS cohort, including 1314 persons with MS (pwMS). Detailed information on disease development and use of disease modifying treatment (DMT) was combined with data on socioeconomic factors.•The pwMS treated with DMT were younger at onset, had shorter time from onset to diagnosis and lower EDSS at diagnosis.•The subgroup treated with a high efficacy DMT as a first drug was younger and had 0.5 point higher EDSS score than those not treated with a high efficacy DMT as a first drug.•Level of education, household income and marital status were inversely related to access to high efficacy DMT as first drug.•We describe a change over time to current pattern where the pwMS are treated equally with DMT in term of different measures of socioeconomic position.