Parkinson’s Disease Statistics

Due to the nature of the condition, inconsistency of symptoms and possible under-diagnosis (especially in the early stages), Parkinson’s disease statistics vary significantly depending on the source of data. Some source’s suggest up to 40% of people who have the condition go undiagnosed.

• Approximate overall prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the general population:
  • US  0.3% (1 in 300)
  • UK  0.2% (1 in 500)
• Between 0.5-1-5 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease and 50,000-60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Estimated cost to the US economy is $6+ billion.
• Some 120,000 UK citizens have Parkinson’s disease and 10,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
• An estimated 100,000 Canadians have the disease.
• Worldwide figure is estimated to be 5-6.5 million people.

• Average age of onset is 60 years.
• % of general population with Parkinson’s:
  • 65-69 years old =  0.5-1%
  • 80+ years old = 1-3%. Other studies indicate a figure around 5%.
• Young Onset Parkinson’s represents 5-10% of Parkinson’s patients. The definition of Young Onset Parkinson’s vary between sources with some including only patients under 40 years, whilst others include patients up to 50 years old. Parkinson’s has been documented in a patient as young as 3 years old.
• One study indicated that the % of doctors patients who exhibited signs of Parkinsonism:
  • Over 60 years old = 10%.
  • Over 85 years old = 50%