How common are migraines?

Migraines are common. About 1 in 10 people will have a migraine attack in any one year. ¹ Nearly 1 in 5 people will have an attack at some point in their life.¹ One study estimated that almost 6 million people in the United Kingdom are affected by migraine.²

• Women are more likely to have migraine attacks than men are.¹ A study that looked at adults in England found that about 18 percent of women and 8 percent of men have migraine attacks.²
• The same study found that white women were most likely to have migraines.²
• For some women, the start of their period each month may trigger an attack. Researchers think this happens because the level of a hormone called oestradiol drops at this time in a woman's cycle. Attacks linked to the menstrual cycle are more likely to occur on the first two days of a woman's period.^{3 4}
• Many women find that their migraine headaches become less severe or disappear when they are pregnant.
• Children can get migraine attacks too. Attacks can start at any age, but they usually start in children who are in their early to mid-teens.¹ Boys tend to start getting migraines at a younger age than girls do.