Table 1.

Epilepsy facts in Europe

There are 6 million people with epilepsy in Europe2

Epilepsy is a disease with many different syndromes and hundreds of different causes

There are ~400,000 new cases in Europe each year, that is, one new case every minute

100,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with epilepsy each year2

130,000 people ≥65 years of age diagnosed each year2

About 50% of patients with epilepsy feel stigmatized3

The death rate in people with epilepsy is 2–3 times higher than in the general population4, 5

Life expectancy is reduced by 2–10 years4, 5

Patients with epilepsy have fourfold risk of comorbidities, which reduce the quality of life6

One third of patients with epilepsy are not controlled by current treatments7

There are no therapies to prevent or cure epilepsy

There are no biomarkers to identify patients at risk for epilepsy

The total cost of epilepsy in Europe is €20 billion per year8

The total European population is 729 million (<15 years: 137 million; ≥65 years 129 million; Source: Eurostat.Eu). Numbers are rounded.