Contents
Table of contents
Overview
2.3 million
Estimated total meningitis cases in 2021
Source: IHME, GBD 2021
Every 15 seconds
Someone gets meningitis globally
Source: IHME, GBD 2021
Of meningitis cases worldwide occur in low or lower middle-income countries
Calculated from IHME, GBD 2021 and World bank income classification, 2024
How many people get meningitis each year where you live?
Every year, there are an estimated 2.3 million cases of meningitis around the world
A “case” represents a person who has had meningitis. It helps us to track the number of people who have had meningitis over time or in a specific area.
This chart breaks down the estimated number of meningitis cases by country and World Health Organization (WHO) region. Use the slider to track how these figures change over time.
Global meningitis cases have reduced over time but remain high in some countries and regions. 83% of meningitis cases worldwide occur in low or lower-middle income countries.
Being able to explain how many people get meningitis is critical to making sure that defeating it remains a priority.
What’s the risk of getting meningitis where you live?
Use this interactive map to see the incidence of meningitis in countries across the world
“Incidence” means the rate of new cases of meningitis that occur within a specific population over a given time period.
Incidence rates are calculated by dividing the total number of meningitis cases by the population size. This helps us to understand and compare the risk of getting meningitis in different countries or regions.
Risk of getting meningitis is affected by where you live. People living in a region of sub-Saharan Africa known as the Meningitis Belt are at higher risk of getting meningitis.
Understanding the risk of getting meningitis in a country or region can highlight the urgent need to make vaccines more available.
What are the impacts of meningitis outbreaks and epidemics?
Meningitis has the potential to cause outbreaks and epidemics – rapid increases in cases that can spread beyond usual geographic boundaries. Outbreaks and epidemics of meningitis are unpredictable and dangerous.
Around half of all cases and deaths from meningitis occur in the 26 countries within the African Meningitis Belt. This string of 26 countries – from Senegal and The Gambia in the west to Ethiopia in the east – has the greatest risk of outbreaks and epidemics caused by meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis.
But outbreaks can and do happen anywhere. Certain environmental factors, such as living in crowded conditions and mass-gathering events, have also been associated with outbreaks of meningitis.
Elimination of bacterial meningitis epidemics is the first visionary goal of the World Health Organization’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030.
Read more from WHO on outbreaks:
Citing our work
We welcome you using our data to advocate for and raise awareness of meningitis. However, when citing this information please include references to underlying data sources, as this important work relies on many different people and organisations.
Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF). (2024). Meningitis Progress Tracker | Meningitis Research Foundation.
www.meningitis.org. https://www.meningitis.org/mpt
Want to support our work?
Your donation for meningitis research drives vital advancements in prevention, treatment, and public health education, saving lives and fostering hope for a future free from this devastating disease. Join us in the fight against meningitis today to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities worldwide.
