Australia’s New Migraine Report: New Data Reveals the True Scale of Migraine

New Australian Data Reveals the True Scale of Migraine

A major update from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has provided a clearer picture of just how common migraine is in Australia — and the numbers are striking.

The updated Migraine and headaches in Australia report estimates that around 1 in 7 Australians (14.4%) are living with migraine, equivalent to approximately 3.9 million people in 2025.

Perhaps even more importantly, the report estimates that almost two-thirds of Australians living with migraine may not have a formal diagnosis. This represents almost 2.5 million Australians potentially living with undiagnosed migraine.

These figures highlight an issue that those of us working in headache research and clinical care see repeatedly: migraine is extremely common, highly disabling, and yet remains substantially under-recognised.

Why have the Australian migraine figures changed?

Estimating the prevalence of migraine is not straightforward.

Previous Australian estimates relied heavily on people reporting that they had migraine or had received a diagnosis from a health professional. The problem is that many people with migraine have never been formally diagnosed, while others may believe that their attacks are simply “headaches”.

The AIHW therefore examined several sources of evidence to establish a more realistic range for migraine prevalence in Australia.

The updated analysis estimates that between 5.4% and 24% of Australians could be living with migraine, depending on how migraine is identified and measured. After considering the available Australian data alongside the Global Burden of Disease study, the AIHW selected 14.4% as the best current estimate.

This represents a substantial change in our understanding of the scale of migraine in Australia.

More than just a headache

Migraine is a neurological disorder. An attack can involve severe headache, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, and, for some people, neurological symptoms known as aura.

For many people, migraine can make normal daily activities — working, studying, caring for family or even simply leaving the house — extremely difficult or impossible during an attack.

The new figures are therefore important beyond simply establishing how many Australians have migraine. If millions of people are living with migraine without a diagnosis, many may also be missing opportunities to receive appropriate treatment and management.

Better recognition, diagnosis and access to effective care remain important priorities.

Contributing to the AIHW report

I was pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of this report by reviewing and providing feedback on the section examining why migraine is more common among females and people of working age.

The report discusses several possible contributors to these patterns, including genetics, hormonal factors and stress, while importantly recognising that migraine is a complex neurological disorder and that population-level associations do not necessarily explain migraine in an individual person.

It was a privilege to contribute my expertise in headache disorders to an Australian Government report that helps bring greater visibility to a condition affecting millions of Australians.

Discussing the findings on ABC Radio

Following the release of the updated figures, I also spoke with ABC Radio's PM program about what these numbers mean.

The ABC report highlighted the revised estimate that around one in seven Australians lives with migraine and discussed the considerable number of people who may remain undiagnosed.

Increasing public awareness is particularly important because migraine can sometimes become normalised or dismissed as “just a headache”. Greater recognition can help people understand when recurrent headaches may represent a neurological disorder and encourage them to seek appropriate medical assessment and treatment.

The new AIHW figures give us a much clearer picture of the scale of migraine in Australia.

They also leave us with an important challenge: if almost 2.5 million Australians with migraine may remain undiagnosed, how do we identify them and ensure they have access to effective care?

That is a question for clinicians, researchers, policymakers and the wider headache community — and one that deserves considerably more attention.

Read the AIHW report:Migraine and headaches in Australia, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/neurological-conditions/migraine-and-headache-disorders

Listen to the ABC PM interview:Australian migraine figures revised up, ABC Radio PM, 21 September 2026 https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/pm/australian-migraine-figures-revised-up-/107178282