Home › Resources › For the Media › Facts and Statistics About Epilepsy

Facts and Statistics About Epilepsy

  • Anyone can be affected by seizures at any age, but epilepsy is most frequently diagnosed in infancy, childhood, adolescence and old age3.
     
  • According to the World Health Organisation, epilepsy is the world's most common serious brain disorder1.
     
  • Epilepsy is more than three times as common as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy.
     
  • Epilepsy is a condition of the brain, not a mental illness.
     
  • It is estimated that nearly 800,000 people in Australia will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some stage in life2.
     
  • It is estimated that over 225,000 Australians are living with epilepsy2. Approx 3% to 3.5% of Australians will experience epilepsy at some point in their lives.
     
  • Approximately 25,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with epilepsy each year.
     
  • An estimated 2.4 million new cases occur each year globally1.
     
  • Around the world an estimated 50 million people have epilpesy at any given time1.
     
  • Epilepsy is diagnosed when the seizures are unprovoked and recurrent – in other words they happen more than once.
     
  • It is commonly thought that epilepsy always involves convulsions. In fact there are
    around 40 different types of epilepsy and epilepsy syndromes.
     
  • Incidence of epilepsy in developing countries is almost double that of developed countries.
     
  • Up to 70% of people gain full seizure control with treatment but in developing countries, over 80% of people with epilepsy may not receive the treatment they need.
     
  • A small percentage of people may be eligible for surgery. Approximately 70% of people who have epilepsy surgery become seizure free.
     
  • Treatment options for people who cannot get seizure control with medications include Vagus Nerve Stimulation and the Ketogenic Diet.
     
  • Up to 15% of people referred to an epilepsy specialist centre do not actually have epilepsy and have been previously misdiagnosed.
     
  • People with epilepsy can obtain a driver’s licence if their seizures are controlled by medication or if they fulfil the guidelines set out by the driving authorities.
     
  • Many people outgrow or have a long term remission from seizures. Epilepsy is not necessarily a lifelong disorder.
     
  • Epilepsy can have profound social, physical and psychological consequences.
     
  • People with epilepsy can face social stigma and exclusion. A fundamental part of reducing this stigma is to raise public and professional awareness.

Epilepsy is associated with an increased risk of death, which may be related to:

  • An underlying brain disease, such as a tumour or infection.
  • Seizures in dangerous circumstances, leading to drowning, burns or head injury.
  • Prolonged or ongoing seizures (Status epilepticus).
  • Sudden and unexplained causes.
  • A possible respiratory or cardio-respiratory arrest during a seizure.
  • Suicide.

1 World Health Organisation, http://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/epilepsy/en/
2 Australian Bureau of Statistics
3 WHO, ILE, ILEA Global Campaign against Epilepsy, 2003; WHO Fact Sheet No. 165, 2001