We’ve updated our carefully researched look at epilepsy by the numbers. This page breaks epilepsy down in a way that we hope might make epilepsy a little more personal to you.

You just might be surprised to learn how many people are living with and dying as a result of epilepsy. Updated as of March, 2026.

1% of the world’s population

Epilepsy affects more than 1% of the world’s population. As of 2026, that is reflective of more than 83 million people worldwide. We know this number is conservative because according to the CDC, more than 1% of the US population is living with active epilepsy, and according to the WHO nearly 80% of people living with epilepsy live in low and middle income countries. 1

 

2.9 Million Americans

More than 2.9 million Americans of all ages are living with what the CDC terms “active epilepsy”. 2

3rd Most Common

Epilepsy is recognized as the third most common neurological disorder in the US after Alzheimer’s and stroke. 3

40 Different types of Seizures and Syndromes

There are more than 40 different types of seizures and syndromes related to epilepsy. Not all of them involve convulsions. 4

65-70% have No Known Cause

In 65-70% of cases diagnosed as epilepsy, there is no known cause. Yep you read that right, 65-70 percent. 5

3X Higher Mortality Rate

The mortality rate is 2 to 3 times higher among people with epilepsy. 6  Oh yeah, and the risk of sudden death is (brace yourself) 24 times greater. 7

$24.5 Billion in Costs

According to the CDC, epilepsy and seizures accounts for about $24.5 billion in direct costs (medical) and indirect costs (lost or reduced earnings and productivity) each year. 8

SUDEP Underestimated

According to a report from UC San Francisco researchers from research done in 2016, they are now recognizing a new term, “sudden neurological death,” to describe apparent sudden cardiac deaths that actually were due to neurological causes, such as stroke, aneurysm or epilepsy, and estimate that 10,000 to 25,000 of these deaths may go undetected and uncounted each year. 9

Your voice matters

I hope you found this helpful in putting context to this disease and reducing some of the stigma. This is only meant to remind us all that we are not alone, and more research and dollars are needed.

 

These statistics are available via the CDC, UNAID, WHO, IOM, and NINDS.

References:

1: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/epilepsy

2: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/fast-facts.htm

3: http://www.humanepilepsyproject.org/what-is-epilepsy/

4: https://www.ilae.org/guidelines/definition-and-classification/operational-classification-2017

5: https://www.massgeneral.org/children/epilepsy/education/causes#:~:text=Collectively%2C%20all%20cases%20of%20epilepsy,These%20cases%20are%20called%20idiopathic.

6: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15075062

7: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26674330/

8: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/data-research/facts-stats/index.html#cdc_facts_stats_chall-health-care-spending

9: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/09/404176/sudden-neurological-death-misclassified-underestimated

10: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/data/index.html