Global Migraine Trends Analysis

Migraine affects about 1 in 7 people worldwide, and cases rose 58% from 1990 to 2021.

By Cerebral Torque

Published Updated 2 min read

On this page · 4 sections
  1. Basic Numbers - How Big is the Problem?
  2. Men vs. Women - Who's More Affected?
  3. Age Patterns - When Does Migraine Occur?
  4. Geographic Differences - Where's the Problem Worst?

Global Burden of Migraine

Source: Dong, L., Dong, W., Jin, Y. et al. (2024). The Global Burden of Migraine: A 30-Year Trend Review and Future Projections by Age, Sex, Country, and Region. Pain Ther.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-024-00690-7
1.16B
People Affected (2021)
About 1 in 7 people globally now have migraine
58%
Increase Since 1990
From 732.56 million to 1.16 billion cases
30 Years
Study Period
Comprehensive trend analysis 1990-2021

Key Terms Explained:

  • ASPR (Age-Standardized Prevalence Rate): Number of cases per 100,000 people, adjusted for age differences in populations
  • EAPC (Estimated Annual Percentage Change): How fast the rate is changing year over year
  • DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years): Years of healthy life lost due to disability and early death
  • SDI (Sociodemographic Index): Measure of a region's development level (0-1 scale)

Basic Numbers - How Big is the Problem?

What We're Measuring 1990 2021 Change What This Means
Total People Affected 732.56 million 1.16 billion +58.15% About 1 in 7 people now have migraine
New Cases Per Year 63.50 million 90.18 million +42.06% More new cases being diagnosed yearly
Impact on Life (DALYs) 27.41 million 43.38 million +58.27% Increasing impact on quality of life
NOTE: While the absolute number of migraine cases has increased significantly (from 732.56 million to 1.16 billion), primarily due to population growth, the age-standardized prevalence rate has remained relatively stable at around 14% of the global population. However, the total burden on healthcare systems and society continues to grow due to the larger absolute number of affected individuals.

Men vs. Women - Who's More Affected?

Measurement Women (2021) Men (2021) What This Tells Us
Number of Cases 725.24 million 433.19 million Women are more affected overall
Rate per 100,000 (ASPR) 17,902.6 10,624.2 Higher prevalence in women
Growth Rate (EAPC) 0.02 0.13 Men's cases growing 6.5x faster!
NOTE: While women have more migraine, men's cases are increasing much faster, suggesting previous underdiagnosis in men.

Age Patterns - When Does Migraine Occur?

Age Group What We See Why It Matters
10-14 years Highest new cases (2,368.93 per 100,000) Critical age for first onset and intervention
30-34 years Most total cases (128.09 million) Major impact during peak working years
40-44 years Highest overall rate (21,579.93 per 100,000) Greatest burden during mid-career
NOTE: Migraine often start in teens and peak during prime working years, significantly impacting education and careers.

Geographic Differences - Where's the Problem Worst?

Development Level Rate per 100,000 Trend What This Means
High SDI (Most Developed) 15,365.14 Stable Better diagnosis but rates leveling off
Medium SDI 14,200.50 Rising Fast Improving detection and reporting
Low SDI (Least Developed) 12,808.97 Little Change Possible underdiagnosis due to limited healthcare
NOTE: Higher reported rates in developed countries likely reflect better healthcare access and diagnosis rather than true differences in occurrence.
Study Implications & Future Directions
  • Healthcare systems need to improve migraine detection in men
  • Early intervention programs needed for adolescents
  • Workplace support crucial during peak working years
  • Developing regions need better access to migraine care
  • Global burden expected to continue rising through 2050

Keep reading

All articles

Guided practice

Alternate nostril breathing

A 5-minute guided practice for migraine prevention, from Unraveling Migraine. Captions are built into the video.

  • Prevention, not a rescue. Keep your usual medicine for migraine attacks.
  • Daily practice is what counts. The study behind it used 3 short sessions a day for 3 months.
  • Skip it or stop if your nose is blocked or it starts to feel like a strain.
Read the full guide and the research