What is the total number of people affected by AGA worldwide?

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), commonly known as pattern hair loss, impacts hundreds of millions of people worldwide and often carries significant psychological and social burdens. While reports vary, most epidemiological studies agree that between 1.0 and 1.5 billion individuals are affected. Below, we explain in detail how these global estimates are derived and why different assumptions yield figures across that range.

Estimating the Global Affected Population: We start by estimating the global population:

• Starting Population:
  • The total world population in 2024 is approximately 8 billion people.
  • Since AGA prevalence before age 30 is generally very low, we focus on adults aged 30 and above, who collectively represent around 45 percent of the global population (≈ 3.6 billion individuals).
• Age-Group Breakdown:
  • Ages 30–49: roughly 25 percent of all people (≈ 2.0 billion).
  • Ages 50–69: roughly 15 percent (≈ 1.2 billion).
  • Ages 70 and older: roughly 5 percent (≈ 0.4 billion).

Prevalence Rates by Age and Sex: We assume an even (50/50) split between men and women within each age bracket. Based on large-scale epidemiological surveys:

• Men
  • Ages 30–49: 30 percent have AGA
  • Ages 50–69: 50 percent have AGA
  • Ages 70+: 70 percent have AGA
• Women
  • Ages 30–49: 10 percent have AGA
  • Ages 50–69: 30 percent have AGA
  • Ages 70+: 40 percent have AGA

Calculating the Numbers: For each age bracket, we first determine the number of men and women, then apply the prevalence rate:

• Ages 30–49 (2.0 billion total)
  • Men: 1.0 billion × 30 percent = 0.30 billion
  • Women: 1.0 billion × 10 percent = 0.10 billion
• Ages 50–69 (1.2 billion total)
  • Men: 0.6 billion × 50 percent = 0.30 billion
  • Women: 0.6 billion × 30 percent = 0.18 billion
• Ages 70+ (0.4 billion total)
  • Men: 0.2 billion × 70 percent = 0.14 billion
  • Women: 0.2 billion × 40 percent = 0.08 billion

Total Summation: Summing across age groups yields:

• Men affected: 0.30 + 0.30 + 0.14 = 0.74 billion
• Women affected: 0.10 + 0.18 + 0.08 = 0.36 billion
• Combined total: 0.74 + 0.36 = 1.10 billion

Why Real World Estimates Rise Toward 1.5 Billion: Several factors push the upper bound of published estimates toward 1.5 billion:

• Lower Age Thresholds: Including adults aged 20–29 (who may exhibit early signs of AGA) adds roughly 5–8 percent more of the population into the calculation.
• Higher Prevalence in Specific Cohorts: Some studies report that up to 50 percent of women aged 50–69 have noticeable hair thinning, rather than 30 percent. Likewise, certain male populations reach 50 percent prevalence by age 40.
• Growing Elderly Demographics: Projections that the over-70 population will exceed 6 percent (instead of 5 percent) increases the count of those in the highest-risk bracket.
• Variations in Data Collection: Clinical-examination studies often report higher prevalence than self-reported surveys, and meta-analyses combine both, widening the range.

By adjusting our base parameters – for example, assuming 50 percent prevalence among women 50–69 and that 6 percent of all people are aged 70+ across the world – we can recalculate:

• Men affected ≈ 0.82 billion
• Women affected ≈ 0.58 billion
• Combined total ≈ 1.40 billion

Conclusion: A carefully structured calculation, grounded in UN demographic data and cited hair loss prevalence rates, yields an estimated 1.10 billion people with AGA worldwide. Allowing for demographic shifts, broader age inclusion, and higher prevalence figures raises this to as much as 1.4–1.5 billion, in line with the numbers quoted in published reviews (e.g. McElwee & Sundberg 2025). Regardless of the precise figure, it is clear that more than one billion individuals live with androgenetic alopecia, highlighting the condition’s substantial global impact and the importance of continued research and therapeutic development.

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