BMJ Global Health: Early Menopause Affects 1 in 14 Women 30-49 in LMICs (2026)

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: BMJ Global Health · Published: July 7, 2026 · Accessed: August 24, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• A pooled analysis of the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 44 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), covering 716,648 women aged 30-49, found the overall prevalence of premature or early menopause was just over 7% (about 1 in 14; 51,000 of 716,648 women), with the highest prevalence (14%) among 40-to-44-year-olds.
• Menopause is considered early if it occurs before age 45 and premature if it occurs before age 40.
• Prevalence was consistently higher in rural than urban areas across all countries and regions, and there was a six-fold difference between the highest-prevalence countries (Ethiopia 12%, Indonesia 11.5%, Myanmar just over 10%) and the lowest (Jordan just over 2%, Gabon and Armenia nearly 3%).
• Education was strongly protective: compared with women with no formal education, women with a college education were 58% less likely to experience early or premature menopause; women who were employed were 14% less likely than women not working.
• The authors say the findings underscore the urgent need to integrate menopause into reproductive health and non-communicable disease programmes, particularly targeting rural areas and addressing social determinants including girls' education and delayed marriage.
• This is an observational study based on self-reported data, and the researchers could not distinguish between natural and surgically induced menopause; factors like smoking, alcohol, physical activity, and diet were not consistently captured in the survey data.