Menopause by the numbers

Menopause is the cessation of menstrual bleeding. It generally occurs in women from their late forties to late fifties, at the average age of 51. Menopause is a normal, natural aging event. It is estimated that 42 million American women over the age of 50 are already menopausal. Another 20 million will reach menopause in the next decade.

In 1998, there were more than 477 million postmenopausal women in the world, and approximately 9% were expected to live to age 80. By 2025, the number of postmenopausal women is expected to rise to 1.1 billion. Life expectancy for women worldwide was 79 years in 1998 (in developed countries). This is expected to rise to 82 years worldwide by 2025.