Epidemiology and Global Burden of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting an estimated 6–7 million individuals worldwide. Age remains the most significant risk factor, with incidence and prevalence rising markedly in populations over 60 years of age. Global demographic shifts towards older age structures, alongside longer disease duration, have contributed to a twofold increase in case numbers over recent decades. Geographical analyses reveal regional variations in prevalence and incidence, influenced by genetic predisposition, environmental exposures and differences in healthcare infrastructure. The burden is measured in prevalence, incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which encompass both years of life lost and years lived with disability. In all regions studied, crude prevalence rates have risen, though age-standardised rates have stabilised or declined in some high-income settings. Men consistently exhibit higher age-standardised rates of disease onset, while women often experience a higher proportion of disability and comorbidities such as depression and dementia. The global burden of Parkinson’s disease extends beyond motor symptoms to encompass a substantial impact on healthcare systems through increased hospital admissions, long-term care needs and rising economic costs. Projections suggest that unless effective preventive and therapeutic strategies are implemented, the absolute burden of Parkinson’s disease will continue to escalate, underscoring the urgency for coordinated public health interventions, improved case ascertainment and investment in research on modifiable risk factors.

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Epidemiology and Global Burden of Parkinson's Disease publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology and global burden of parkinson's disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Prevalence: The total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a given time, usually expressed per 100,000 individuals.

Incidence: The number of new cases of a disease that develop in a specified period, typically reported per 100,000 person-years.

Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): A composite measure of disease burden combining years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability.

Years lived with disability (YLD): An estimate of healthy years of life lost due to living with a disease or disability, weighted by severity.

Age-standardised rate: A summary measure of the rate a population would have if it had a standard age structure, allowing for comparisons across regions and over time.

References

1. Global, regional, and national burden of Parkinson's disease, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet Neurology (2018).
2. Global Trends in the Incidence, Prevalence, and Years Lived With Disability of Parkinson's Disease in 204 Countries/Territories From 1990 to 2019. Frontiers in Public Health (2021).
3. Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America. npj Parkinson's Disease (2022).
4. A nationwide study of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of Parkinson’s disease in the Norwegian population. npj Parkinson's Disease (2022).