Estimates of people living with Parkinson’s has more than doubled

Based on ABS statistics and scientific peer reviewed prevalence data, there are an estimated 57,000 Victorians living with Parkinson’s and 219,000 nationally.

This is more than double the previous figures of 27,000 Victorians and 100,000 Australian reported in 2015.

Since then, from more recent evidence-based publications in Australia and around the world, the number of people living with Parkinson’s is increasing rapidly.

Of note is the publication of Ayton et al “Parkinson’s disease prevalence and the association with rurality and agricultural determinants”.¹

This Monash University and University of Melbourne-led research, published in the international Parkinsonism and Related Disorders journal in 2019, estimated the current prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Victoria to be 0.85% of the population.

This research, and other international reports have already contributed to a global pursuit of more sophisticated prevalence statistics, as reported in Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR (2018)^3.

Neurological disorders are now the leading cause of disabilities in the world and Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological syndrome.³

When applying the estimates from Dorsey and Bloem², the number of people living with Parkinson’s is projected to double to 12 million by 2040, making Parkinson’s a chronic disease of significant national concern in the coming years and decades.

1. Ayton, D., et al., Parkinson’s disease prevalence and the association with rurality and agricultural determinants. Parkinsonism Relat Disord, 2019. 61: p. 198-202.
2. Dorsey, E.R. and B.R. Bloem, The Parkinson Pandemic-A Call to Action. JAMA Neurol, 2018. 75(1): p. 9-10.
3. Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR (2018) The emerging evidence of the Parkinson pandemic. J Parkin[1]sons Dis 8, S3-S8.