Menopause is universal: every woman who lives long enough will reach it. In the United States the average age of natural menopause is about 51 to 52, with a normal range of roughly 45 to 55 (NIH: NICHD and NIA). Globally, women aged 50 and over made up 26% of all women and girls in 2021 (WHO, 2024). Hot flashes or night sweats affect the majority of women, and about 1% reach menopause before age 40. Below, every figure is tied to a primary source with its data year.
Overview: what the numbers describe
Menopause is defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, marking the end of the reproductive years (NICHD). The years of hormonal change leading up to it are called perimenopause, and the time afterward is postmenopause. For a plain-language walk-through of each phase, see our guide to the stages of menopause.
How common is menopause?
Menopause is not a disease — it is a natural transition that reaches essentially 100% of women who live into midlife. What is growing is the number of people living in the postmenopausal years. According to the World Health Organization, women aged 50 and over accounted for 26% of all women and girls worldwide in 2021, up from 22% a decade earlier (WHO fact sheet, 16 October 2024). A woman who was 60 in 2019 could expect, on average, to live another 21 years (WHO, 2024) — meaning many women now spend a third or more of their lives after menopause.
How many women have symptoms?
Hot flashes and night sweats — together called vasomotor symptoms — are the most commonly reported symptoms. About 75% of women experience them during the transition, and up to roughly 80% in some studies (The Menopause Society). In the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), the median total duration of these symptoms was 7.4 years (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015). Learn more in our guides to hot flashes and night sweats, or estimate your own burden with the menopause symptom score.
Who it affects: age and ethnicity
The average age of natural menopause is about 51 (NICHD) to 52 (NIA) in the United States, and generally falls between 45 and 55 worldwide (WHO, 2024). See the average age of menopause for more detail. Timing can shift earlier for some: women who smoke tend to reach menopause sooner than those who don't (NICHD).
Symptom burden also differs by race and ethnicity. In the SWAN study, Black women reported the longest total duration of hot flashes and night sweats (median 10.1 years), followed by Hispanic women (8.9 years) and non-Hispanic White women (6.5 years); Chinese women (5.4 years) and Japanese women (4.8 years) had the shortest (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015). These are among the few menopause figures backed by a large, multi-ethnic longitudinal cohort.
Early and premature menopause
A minority of women reach menopause well before the typical range. Early menopause — before age 45 — affects about 5% of women, while premature menopause before age 40 affects about 1% (Shuster et al., Maturitas, 2010). Early loss of ovarian function is sometimes called primary ovarian insufficiency, and it can raise long-term health considerations that are worth discussing with a clinician.
Related risks
The fall in estrogen around menopause is linked to changes in bone and heart health. Bone loss speeds up in the years surrounding menopause, raising the long-term risk of osteoporosis — see bone health. Cardiovascular risk also rises after menopause — see heart health. Because symptoms like fatigue and irregular periods can overlap with thyroid or iron problems, some women benefit from checking those too. Decisions about treatments such as menopausal hormone therapy are individual; read our overview of hormone replacement therapy and discuss options with your clinician rather than starting or stopping anything on your own.
Trends
The postmenopausal population is expanding as life expectancy rises. The share of women aged 50 and over grew from 22% to 26% of all women and girls globally in the decade leading to 2021 (WHO, 2024), and health systems are giving menopause more attention as a result. The average age of menopause itself has stayed relatively stable at around 51 to 52 in the U.S. (NICHD; NIA).
| Figure | Value | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Average age of menopause (US) | ~51–52 | NICHD; NIA |
| Typical age range | 45–55 | WHO (2024) |
| Women aged 50+ worldwide | 26% of all women/girls (2021) | WHO (2024) |
| Experience hot flashes / night sweats | ~75% (up to 80%) | The Menopause Society |
| Median duration of hot flashes | 7.4 years | SWAN, JAMA Intern Med (2015) |
| Longest symptom duration (Black women) | 10.1 years | SWAN (2015) |
| Early menopause (before 45) | ~5% | Shuster et al. (2010) |
| Premature menopause (before 40) | ~1% | Shuster et al. (2010) |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average age of menopause?
In the United States it is about 51 to 52, with a normal range of roughly 45 to 55 (NICHD; NIA; WHO, 2024). Reaching menopause a few years earlier or later than average is still normal.
How many women get hot flashes?
Roughly 75% of women, and up to about 80% in some studies, experience hot flashes or night sweats during the menopause transition (The Menopause Society). Their median duration was 7.4 years in the SWAN cohort (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015).
How common is early menopause?
Early menopause before age 45 affects about 5% of women, and premature menopause before age 40 affects about 1% (Shuster et al., 2010).
Statistics describe populations, not individuals. If you have questions about your own timeline, symptoms, or risks, talk to your clinician or gynecologist.