Alopecia areata (AA) epidemiology helps quantify disease burden and inform local and global planning. Recent adult studies estimate a global incidence of about 180 per 100,000 person-years (2019) and pooled adult prevalence around 1.47%, with slowly rising incidence and prevalence over time in higher-income countries. Pediatric data are comparatively sparse. This scoping narrative review focuses on children and adolescents, summarizing contemporary evidence on incidence and prevalence, racial/ethnic differences, risk factors (including family history), disease burden, and comorbidities.
Across studies, contemporary US pediatric AA incidence is roughly 14–33 per 100,000 person-years, and prevalence about 0.04%–0.11%, with several datasets suggesting rates may be rising over time. Incidence and prevalence vary widely by geography, with higher rates reported in some Asian and North African/Middle Eastern settings, while global modeling suggests pediatric incidence was relatively stable from 1990 to 2019. In US/UK data, burden appears higher among Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Black, and multiracial children than among non-Hispanic White children, and consistent sex-based patterns are unclear. Key associated factors include family history and common comorbidities such as atopy (especially atopic dermatitis/asthma), vitiligo/other autoimmune disease, mental health conditions (anxiety/depression, stigma), and thyroid disease. The authors note important evidence gaps and call for more population-based research to clarify trends and disparities.
Reference: Adhanom R, Ansbro B, Castelo-Soccio L. Epidemiology of Pediatric Alopecia Areata. Pediatr Dermatol. 2025 Mar;42 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):12-23. doi: 10.1111/pde.15803. Erratum in: Pediatr Dermatol. 2025 Sep-Oct;42(5):1110. doi: 10.1111/pde.15941. PMID: 40044622; PMCID: PMC11882485.
