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Survey study, 2024

Is PMS becoming more or less common around the world?

Globally, new cases of PMS and the health burden it causes went down slightly between 1990 and 2019, but PMS is still very common everywhere, and some countries, especially the United States, saw PMS become more common.

Early or limited evidence Women in 204 countries and regions, tracked from 1990 to 2019

What they did

Researchers used a large worldwide health database (the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study) to track how common PMS was and how much it affected women's health, across 204 countries and regions, from 1990 to 2019. They compared results by region, by country, and by how wealthy each area was.

What they found

Overall, global PMS cases and the related health burden decreased from 1990 to 2019. Poorer and middle-income regions carried the heaviest PMS burden, with South Asia having the highest rate of new PMS cases (7337.9 per 10,000 people). Wealthy North American countries had the fastest-growing burden over time. At the country level, 107 nations saw PMS rates go down while 97 saw them go up, with the United States showing the biggest increase.

What it means for you

PMS remains a major health issue for women everywhere, even though the global trend is improving overall. Because this is a records-based study across many countries, it cannot explain why some places are improving and others, like the US, are getting worse, and it does not test any treatment.

7337.9/10,000

Highest PMS rate (South Asia)

107

Countries with falling PMS rates

97

Countries with rising PMS rates

About the study

Original title
Global burden and trends in female premenstrual syndrome study during 1990-2019
Authors
Zhu L, Zhou C, Li X et al.
Journal
Archives of women's mental health
Year
2024
Study design
Survey study
What was tested
None. This was an observational tracking study, not a treatment trial.

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