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Survey study, 2024

How many women worldwide have PMS, and how does it vary by region and income level?

The number of women with PMS globally increased from 652.5 million in 1990 to 956.0 million in 2019, a 46.5% increase, though the rate per population stayed stable.

Early or limited evidence Global data from 21 regions and 204 countries

What they did

Analysis of global health data from 1990 to 2019 covering 21 regions and 204 countries to estimate how many women have PMS and how much disability it causes.

What they found

PMS cases increased from 652.5 million to 956.0 million, a 46.5% increase. However, when adjusted for population size, the rate was stable. Disability from PMS increased from 5.4 million to 8.0 million years lived with disability globally. Lower-income regions and South Asia had the highest burden. Pakistan had the highest burden among nations, Niger the lowest. Women aged 40 to 44 years had the highest burden.

What it means for you

More women have PMS now than 30 years ago because the global population grew, not because PMS became more common in each population. Women in lower-income countries experience greater burden from PMS. This study provides population-level patterns but doesn't explain why PMS severity varies among individuals.

652.5-956.0M

women with PMS (1990-2019)

46.5%

increase in PMS cases

5.4-8.0M

years of disability from PMS

About the study

Original title
Global, regional, and national burden of premenstrual syndrome, 1990-2019: an analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors
Liu X, Li R, Wang S et al.
Journal
Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
Year
2024
Study design
Survey study
Participants
100,000
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes

Topics