Alarming AIHW figures more than double Australia’s migraine estimate

Australia has been undercounting migraine by more than half, with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) releasing an updated estimate that almost four million Australians, approximately one in seven people, live with the condition.

The estimate of 14.4 per cent is more than double the previously reported 6.6 per cent, or approximately 1.7 million Australians living with long-term migraine.

AIHW’s analysis also suggests that around 2.5 million Australians living with migraine, almost two-thirds of those affected, may be undiagnosed. This is an indirect estimate, based on a comparison of national survey data on reported diagnosis with the updated prevalence estimate.

The change reflects a better understanding of how many Australians have migraine. The earlier figure relied on people recognising and reporting the condition, potentially missing those who had not been diagnosed or mistook their symptoms for another type of headache.

Neurologist and headache specialist, Dr Katherine Spira said greater recognition could help people seek care.

“Headache is a symptom, yet migraine is a disease. People may think they have a really bad headache and simply need to tough it out. But if headaches come with nausea or vomiting, or sensitivity to light, sound or smell, it could be migraine. Help is available from your doctor.”

The updated estimate also shows that migraine is 1.6 times as common among women as men and is most prevalent during the working-age years.

The Brain Foundation, through its Migraine & Headache Australia division, is calling for national action to improve migraine recognition, diagnosis, care and treatment access.

Brain Foundation CEO Beata Roman said the revised estimate must translate into better care for Australians living with migraine.

“Recognition of the true scale of migraine must now be matched by action to improve care and equitable access to evidence-based treatments,” Ms Roman said.

“This is an important acknowledgement of migraine’s national burden. But recognition alone is not enough. Health policy, diagnosis and access to treatment must now catch up.”

Unable to afford the treatment combination that works best

Canberra resident Elise Bailey has lived with migraine since adolescence. The condition has affected her ability to work, maintain relationships and care for her father, who has a physical disability following a stroke.

After trying numerous treatments, Elise says she has found a combination that substantially reduces her migraine burden. However, she cannot currently afford to access both treatments together.

“When I can access the full treatment that works for me, it dramatically reduces the number of migraine days I experience,” she said. “I’m able to work, spend time with friends and family, and fully participate in caring for my father.”

“At the moment, I can only afford one part of that treatment. The other is simply too expensive.

Elise Bailey has been living with chronic migraine since she was 12.

Elise previously worked full-time in the public service but changed career paths and moved to part-time work because of the combined demands of migraine and caring for her father.

“I was driving myself into the ground trying to cope. I was struggling at work, struggling as a carer for my father, and had virtually no social life.”

Diagnosis must lead to affordable care

Dr Spira said access to treatment was an essential part of improving migraine care.

“Migraine can be treated, and the results can be life-changing. Improving access to treatments and funding them for more patients would help doctors individualise care and give people a better chance of finding treatment that works.”

The Brain Foundation is finalising a position paper informed by consultations with people living with migraine, clinicians, researchers, patient organisations, government and industry.

The consultations have identified barriers including limited access to subsidised treatments, high out-of-pocket costs and requirements to trial and fail multiple treatments before becoming eligible for certain migraine-specific preventive therapies.

Migraine & Headache Australia Lead Carl Cincinnato said greater recognition needed to be accompanied by practical improvements in care.

“If millions of Australians may be living with undiagnosed migraine, we need to help people recognise the condition and seek care. But receiving a diagnosis must also lead to a realistic pathway to appropriate and affordable treatment,” Mr Cincinnato said.

“Migraine is complex, and no single treatment is effective or appropriate for everyone. Some treatments are available only through private prescriptions, placing them beyond the reach of many patients.

“People should not have to choose between the treatment that helps them function and what they can afford.”

The Brain Foundation is calling on the Australian Government to:

• recognise migraine as a major national health priority;
• give Australians affordable access to a breadth of evidence-based migraine treatments comparable with other countries; and
• modernise PBS access criteria by removing fixed fail-first requirements and enabling first-line access to migraine-specific preventive treatments where clinically appropriate.

Migraine & Headache Awareness Week 

The AIHW update coincides with the beginning of Migraine & Headache Awareness Week, held from 21 to 25 September 2026.

The free online event will feature five expert sessions with live question-and-answer discussions covering the new prevalence figures, migraine research, mental health and chronic pain, treatment access and practical advocacy.

AIHW’s Dr Farid Anvari will open the week at 12 noon AEST today, explaining how the estimate was developed, why it has changed and what the findings mean for Australians living with migraine.

On Thursday evening, Mr Cincinnato will share patient experiences of treatment-access barriers and explain how individuals can raise these issues with policymakers and their local Members of Parliament.

“This week is about helping people understand the condition, find credible information and turn greater recognition into meaningful action,” Mr Cincinnato said.

Migraine & Headache Awareness Week is free to attend online. Register at https://headacheaustralia.org.au/migraine-headache-awareness-week-2026/