Stroke statistics — quick reference¶
Last curated: 2026-08-30
Use note. Each row specifies estimate year/follow-up, population and method. Counts, rates, proportions, odds ratios and modelled attributable fractions are not interchangeable. Uncertainty intervals (UI) accompany Global Burden of Disease (GBD) model estimates; confidence intervals (CI) accompany sampled studies. Conflicting estimates are retained side by side rather than averaged. Every PMID was retrieved through live PubMed E-utilities on 2026-08-30.
1. Global burden in 2019¶
Source for all rows in this section: GBD 2019 Stroke Collaborators, a standardized model integrating available data for 204 countries and territories and estimating ischemic stroke, ICH, SAH and all stroke by age, sex and World Bank income group (GBD 2019 Stroke Collaborators 2021, PMID 34487721).
| Measure | Estimate (95% UI) | Estimate year | Population | Method / denominator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incident strokes | 12.2 million (11.0–13.6) | 2019 | Global, all ages | GBD modeled annual first and recurrent events |
| People living with stroke | 101 million (93.2–111) | 2019 | Global, all ages | GBD modeled prevalence |
| Stroke deaths | 6.55 million (6.00–7.02) | 2019 | Global, all ages | GBD cause-of-death model |
| Stroke DALYs | 143 million (133–153) | 2019 | Global, all ages | years of life lost + years lived with disability |
| Share of all deaths | 11.6% (10.8–12.2) | 2019 | Global deaths | stroke deaths / deaths from all causes |
| Share of all DALYs | 5.7% (5.1–6.2) | 2019 | Global DALYs | stroke DALYs / DALYs from all causes |
| Global cause rank | 2nd for death; 3rd for death/disability combined | 2019 | Global | GBD cause ranking |
GBD estimates are modeled, not a census of events. Data density, death certification and surveillance quality vary by country; UI reflects modeled uncertainty but cannot capture every structural data defect.
2. Pathological types¶
| Stroke type | Incident events (95% UI) | Share of incident stroke | Estimate year | Population / method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ischemic stroke | 7.63 million (6.57–8.96) | 62.4% | 2019 | Global GBD model | PMID 34487721 |
| Intracerebral hemorrhage | 3.41 million (2.97–3.91) | 27.9% | 2019 | Global GBD model | PMID 34487721 |
| Subarachnoid hemorrhage | 1.18 million (1.01–1.39) | 9.7% | 2019 | Global GBD model | PMID 34487721 |
These are global proportions. Hospital series in high-income settings commonly show a larger ischemic share; case ascertainment, population age and competing mortality change the mix. Do not use the global 62.4/27.9/9.7 split as a local diagnostic prior without local surveillance.
3. Change from 1990 to 2019: counts versus rates¶
| Measure | Change in absolute number (95% UI) | Change in age-standardized rate (95% UI) | Population / method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incident stroke | +70.0% (67.0–73.0) | −17.0% (−18.0 to −15.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
| Prevalent stroke | +85.0% (83.0–88.0) | −6.0% (−7.0 to −5.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
| Stroke deaths | +43.0% (31.0–55.0) | −36.0% (−42.0 to −31.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
| Stroke DALYs | +32.0% (22.0–42.0) | −36.0% (−42.0 to −31.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
| Prevalence rate in people <70 | — | +22.0% (21.0–24.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
| Incidence rate in people <70 | — | +15.0% (12.0–18.0) | Global GBD model, 1990→2019 | PMID 34487721 |
Population growth and aging can increase absolute events while age-standardized rates fall. Both statements are true; reporting only the rate trend understates service demand, while reporting only counts understates prevention progress.
4. Income inequality¶
| Comparison | Ratio (95% UI) | Estimate year | Population / method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age-standardized stroke mortality, low- vs high-income country group | 3.6× (3.5–3.8) | 2019 | World Bank income groups in GBD model | PMID 34487721 |
| Age-standardized stroke DALY rate, low- vs high-income country group | 3.7× (3.5–3.9) | 2019 | World Bank income groups in GBD model | PMID 34487721 |
Country-income groups are ecological categories. These ratios do not measure within-country inequality or attribute causality to national income alone.
5. Risk-attributable burden¶
GBD population-attributable fractions estimate the fraction of stroke DALYs theoretically preventable if exposure were reduced to the theoretical minimum-risk level, assuming modeled causal effects. Fractions overlap because risk factors co-occur and therefore must not be summed (GBD 2019 Stroke Collaborators 2021, PMID 34487721).
| Risk factor | Stroke DALYs attributable (95% UI) | Fraction of stroke DALYs (95% UI) | Estimate year | Population / method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High systolic blood pressure | 79.6 million (67.7–90.8) | 55.5% (48.2–62.0) | 2019 | Global GBD comparative-risk model |
| High body-mass index | 34.9 million (22.3–48.6) | 24.3% (15.7–33.2) | 2019 | Global GBD comparative-risk model |
| High fasting plasma glucose | 28.9 million (19.8–41.5) | 20.2% (13.8–29.1) | 2019 | Global GBD comparative-risk model |
| Ambient particulate-matter pollution | 28.7 million (23.4–33.4) | 20.1% (16.6–23.0) | 2019 | Global GBD comparative-risk model |
| Smoking | 25.3 million (22.6–28.2) | 17.6% (16.4–19.0) | 2019 | Global GBD comparative-risk model |
6. Regional population surveillance: Latin America and Caribbean¶
| Measure | Estimate (95% CI) | Study years | Population | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-ever stroke incidence | 119.0 (95.9–142.1) per 100,000 person-years | studies 1997–2021 | Latin America/Caribbean | random-effects synthesis of 7 incidence studies; I²=98.1% | Delfino 2023, PMID 36428236 |
| Stroke prevalence | 3,060 per 100,000 | studies 1997–2021 | Latin America/Caribbean | random-effects synthesis of 5 prevalence studies; I²=98.8%; published abstract reports an internally inconsistent CI and it is not reproduced here | PMID 36428236 |
| One-month case fatality after first stroke | 21.1% (18.6–23.7) | studies 1997–2021 | Latin America/Caribbean | random-effects synthesis of 6 studies; I²=49.4% | PMID 36428236 |
The incidence and prevalence heterogeneity is extreme. These pooled estimates describe the retrieved study set, not a stable region-wide rate.
7. Recurrence¶
| Follow-up after first-ever stroke | Pooled cumulative recurrence (95% CI) | Population / study era | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 3.1% (1.7–4.4) | 13 studies; 9,115 survivors | systematic review and Weibull-model meta-analysis | Mohan 2011, PMID 21454819 |
| 1 year | 11.1% (9.0–13.3) | same | same | PMID 21454819 |
| 5 years | 26.4% (20.1–32.8) | same | same | PMID 21454819 |
| 10 years | 39.2% (27.2–51.2) | same | same | PMID 21454819 |
| 5-year risk, temporal comparison | declined across studies from 32.0% to 16.2% | heterogeneous cohorts over calendar time | meta-regression / study comparison | PMID 21454819 |
Substantial heterogeneity occurred at every time point. The estimates predate much contemporary secondary prevention and should be used as historical pooled baselines, not a current individual prognosis.
8. Organized-care effect sizes¶
| Outcome | Effect (95% CI) | Follow-up / population | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor outcome: organized inpatient care vs alternative | OR 0.77 (0.69–0.87) | median 1 year; 29 trials, 5,902 participants | Cochrane network meta-analysis | Langhorne 2020, PMID 32324916 |
| Death | OR 0.76 (0.66–0.88) | same | same | PMID 32324916 |
| Death or dependency | OR 0.75 (0.66–0.85) | same | same | PMID 32324916 |
| Additional survivors per 100 treated | 2 | same | absolute-risk translation of pooled trial effect | PMID 32324916 |
| Additional people living independently per 100 | 6 | same | absolute-risk translation | PMID 32324916 |
| Additional people living at home per 100 | 6 | same | absolute-risk translation | PMID 32324916 |
9. Acute-system performance and mobile stroke units¶
| Metric | Estimate | Population / period | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target: Stroke median door-to-needle | 77→67 min | 71,169 alteplase-treated patients; US, pre-2010 vs 2010–2013 | before–after national quality initiative | Fonarow 2014, PMID 24756513 |
| Treated within 60 min | 26.5%→41.3% | same | before–after | PMID 24756513 |
| Adjusted in-hospital mortality | OR 0.89 (95% CI 0.83–0.94) | same | risk-adjusted before–after | PMID 24756513 |
| Symptomatic ICH | 5.68%→4.68%; adjusted OR 0.83 (0.76–0.91) | same | risk-adjusted before–after | PMID 24756513 |
| MSU onset-to-IV thrombolysis | median −31 min (95% CI −39 to −23) | 13 studies, 3,322 patients | random-effects meta-analysis | Turc 2022, PMID 35129584 |
| MSU excellent 90-day outcome | adjusted OR 1.64 (1.27–2.13) | 5 studies, 3,228 patients | random-effects meta-analysis | PMID 35129584 |
| MSU IVT within 60 min of onset | OR 7.71 (4.17–14.25) | 8 studies, 3,351 patients | meta-analysis | PMID 35129584 |
| BEST-MSU onset-to-tPA | 72 vs 108 min | 1,047 tPA-eligible patients; US multicenter | prospective alternating-week controlled trial | Grotta 2021, PMID 34496173 |
| BEST-MSU mRS 0–1 at 90 days | 55.0% vs 44.4% | same | controlled comparison | PMID 34496173 |
| Direct-to-angiography door-to-groin | −29.0 min (95% CI −43.6 to −14.3) | 8 studies, 1,938 patients | systematic review/meta-analysis | Brehm 2022, PMID 35251309 |
| Direct-to-angiography good outcome | OR 1.38 (0.97–1.95) | same | meta-analysis; not statistically conclusive | PMID 35251309 |
Before–after and workflow studies can be confounded by secular improvement and patient selection. The randomized/controlled and pooled designs are therefore identified rather than merged into one effect.
10. Common long-term consequences¶
| Outcome | Estimate (95% CI or range) | Population / timing | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression after stroke | 31% (28–35) | 61 studies, 25,488 adults; varied follow-up | updated systematic review/meta-analysis | Hackett 2014, PMID 25117911 |
| Depression 1–5 years after stroke | 25% (16–33) | subset of same review | pooled observational estimate | PMID 25117911 |
| Depression at 5 years | 23% (14–31) | subset of same review | pooled observational estimate | PMID 25117911 |
| Fatigue after stroke | 50% (43–57) | 22 studies, 3,491 participants using Fatigue Severity Scale cutoff ≥4 | random-effects meta-analysis; I²=94% | Cumming 2016, PMID 27703065 |
| Fatigue prevalence range | 25%–85% | same review | observed study range | PMID 27703065 |
| Dysphagia, acute stroke | 42% | 42 studies, 26,366 participants | random-effects meta-analysis | Banda 2022, PMID 35562660 |
| Pneumonia with vs without dysphagia | OR 4.08 (2.13–7.79) | acute stroke studies | pooled association | PMID 35562660 |
| Mortality with vs without dysphagia | OR 4.07 (2.17–7.63) | acute stroke studies | pooled association | PMID 35562660 |
| Dysphagia in Asian stroke cohorts | 36.3% (33.3–39.3) | 40 studies / 43 observations | meta-analysis | Meng 2020, PMID 32912517 |
| Dementia before first stroke | approximately 10% | review of stroke-related dementia literature | narrative synthesis | Pendlebury 2009, PMID 19818568 |
| New dementia soon after first stroke | approximately 10% | same | narrative synthesis | PMID 19818568 |
| Dementia after recurrent stroke | >33% | same | narrative synthesis | PMID 19818568 |
| MCI or dementia after lacunar stroke | 24% | 24 studies, 7,575 patients (2,860 lacunar) | systematic review | Makin 2013, PMID 23457225 |
| Dementia prevalence after lacunar stroke | 20% (9–33) | 6 studies, 1,421 patients | pooled proportion | PMID 23457225 |
| Early seizure after ischemic stroke | 3.3% (2.8–3.9) | 35 incidence studies | systematic review/meta-analysis; I²=92.8% | Wang 2017, PMID 28835405 |
| Late seizure/epilepsy incidence | 18 per 1,000 person-years (reported 95% CI 15–22 per 1,000) | ischemic stroke cohorts | systematic review/meta-analysis; I²=94.1% | PMID 28835405 |
The estimates conflict where instruments, timing and populations differ. For dysphagia, 36.3% in Asian cohorts and 42% across a broader acute-stroke synthesis should remain separate; they are not competing measurements of one fixed prevalence.
11. Unmet need and caregiver burden¶
| Measure | Estimate | Population / timing | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survivors with unmet needs | median 67.20%; study range 15.08%–97.59% | 32 quantitative studies; community-dwelling survivors | systematic review | Lin 2021, PMID 33879490 |
| Unmet needs at 6 months | 62.14% | included survey studies | pooled/reported review estimate | PMID 33879490 |
| Unmet needs at 2 years | 81.37% | included survey studies | pooled/reported review estimate | PMID 33879490 |
| Number of unmet needs/person | median across studies 2–8; observed scale range 0–31 | community-dwelling survivors | systematic review | PMID 33879490 |
| At least one long-term unmet need | mean 73.8%; range 19.8%–91.7% | 19 survey studies after hospital discharge | systematic review | Chen 2019, PMID 31110106 |
| Unmet information need | 3.1%–65.0% | same | range across heterogeneous surveys | PMID 31110106 |
| Unmet transport need | 5.4%–53.0% | same | range across surveys | PMID 31110106 |
| Unmet home help/personal care | 4.7%–39.3% | same | range across surveys | PMID 31110106 |
| Unmet therapy need | 2.0%–35.7% | same | range across surveys | PMID 31110106 |
| Depressive symptoms in caregivers | 40.2% (30.1–51.1) | 12 studies, 1,756 caregivers | random-effects meta-analysis | Loh 2017, PMID 27742585 |
| Anxiety symptoms in caregivers | 21.4% (11.6–35.9) | same | random-effects meta-analysis | PMID 27742585 |
Unmet-need instruments are not standardized; a broader questionnaire will usually yield a higher “any unmet need” estimate. These figures quantify survey responses, not service eligibility.
12. Conflicts and caveats to preserve¶
| Conflict / caveat | Correct interpretation |
|---|---|
| Absolute stroke counts rose while age-standardized rates fell | demographic growth increased total service demand while age-specific risk improved globally (PMID 34487721) |
| Global subtype shares differ from many hospital series | GBD is population-modeled; hospital cohorts reflect access, admission and local age structure |
| Recurrence estimates are high and old | Mohan pooled heterogeneous historical cohorts; contemporary mechanism-specific prevention can alter risk (PMID 21454819) |
| Dysphagia prevalence is 36.3% or 42% | different geographic scope, eligibility and assessment explain distinct pooled estimates (PMIDs: 32912517, 35562660) |
| Fatigue prevalence is 50% but ranges 25%–85% | pooled value has I²=94%; instrument and sampling dominate precision (PMID 27703065) |
| Depression is “about one-third” | 31% is a pooled observational frequency across varying timing and definitions, not an individual prediction (PMID 25117911) |
| Unmet need ranges approach 100% | tools and breadth of domains vary; retain the range and instrument context (PMIDs: 33879490, 31110106) |
| Workflow improvement accompanies better outcome | before–after designs cannot isolate the intervention from secular change (PMID 24756513) |
| OR is not risk ratio or absolute risk reduction | translate only when baseline risk and model permit; do not subtract ORs from 1 as an absolute benefit |
| DALY attributable fractions overlap | co-occurring risks mean fractions cannot be summed (PMID 34487721) |
13. Source index¶
- GBD 2019 Stroke Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990–2019. Lancet Neurol. 2021;20:795–820. PMID 34487721
- Palaniappan LP, et al. 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: a report of US and global data from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2026;153:e275–e906. PMID 41562125 — current compendium located; no numeric row was transcribed without checking its underlying chapter/table.
- Delfino C, et al. Stroke in Latin America: systematic review of incidence, prevalence, and case-fatality in 1997–2021. Int J Stroke. 2023;18:645–656. PMID 36428236
- Mohan KM, et al. Risk and cumulative risk of stroke recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Stroke. 2011;42:1489–1494. PMID 21454819
- Langhorne P, Ramachandra S; Stroke Unit Trialists' Collaboration. Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke: network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;4:CD000197. PMID 32324916
- Fonarow GC, et al. Door-to-needle times for tPA administration and clinical outcomes before and after a quality improvement initiative. JAMA. 2014;311:1632–1640. PMID 24756513
- Turc G, et al. Comparison of mobile stroke unit with usual care: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Neurol. 2022;79:281–290. PMID 35129584
- Grotta JC, et al. Prospective, multicenter, controlled trial of mobile stroke units. N Engl J Med. 2021;385:971–981. PMID 34496173
- Brehm A, et al. Direct to angiography suite approaches: systematic review and meta-analysis. Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2022;15:17562864221078177. PMID 35251309
- Hackett ML, Pickles K. Part I: frequency of depression after stroke. Int J Stroke. 2014;9:1017–1025. PMID 25117911
- Cumming TB, et al. The prevalence of fatigue after stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Stroke. 2016;11:968–977. PMID 27703065
- Banda KJ, et al. Prevalence of dysphagia and risk of pneumonia and mortality in acute stroke patients: a meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2022;22:420. PMID 35562660
- Meng PP, et al. Occurrence rate of swallowing disorders after stroke in Asia: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2020;29:105113. PMID 32912517
- Pendlebury ST. Stroke-related dementia: rates, risk factors and implications. Maturitas. 2009;64:165–171. PMID 19818568
- Makin SDJ, et al. Cognitive impairment after lacunar stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013;84:893–900. PMID 23457225
- Wang JZ, et al. Incidence and management of seizures after ischemic stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurology. 2017;89:1220–1228. PMID 28835405
- Lin BL, et al. Unmet care needs of community-dwelling stroke survivors: systematic review. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e045560. PMID 33879490
- Chen T, et al. Long-term unmet needs after stroke: systematic review of survey studies. BMJ Open. 2019;9:e028137. PMID 31110106
- Loh AZ, et al. Global prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among caregivers of stroke survivors. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2017;18:111–116. PMID 27742585