Hot Topics Aging Challenges Policy Watch Mental Health Lifestyle Voices & Stories

Series 3 of 7 | Health Economic: Menopause at Scale — Why 774 Million Women Matter

Mariza Lendez

Editor

Chikicha Quality Lifestyle is a Choice

35
views

By 2030, 1.42 billion people will be over 60, and 54.5% of them—around 774 million women—will be navigating post-menopause. This demographic shift poses urgent health and economic challenges as fertility rates fall and healthcare systems strain. From hormone therapy to non-hormonal innovations, the way we respond today will shape the future of women’s health, longevity, and productivity in an ageing world.

By 2030, the world will have approximately 1.4 billion people aged 60 or above — and a majority of them women: 54%, which translates to about 774 million post-menopausal women. (WHO, Decade of Healthy Ageing)

That’s not a distant statistic — it’s today’s threshold for a global demographic shift. Menopause, once considered a private milestone, is now becoming a population-level phenomenon. As fertility worldwide stays below replacement levels, these 774 million women stepping into post-menopause will increasingly drive healthcare needs, social dynamics, and economic sustainability. In short, menopause is no longer a side issue — it’s quietly reshaping societies.

From Personal Experience to Public Challenge

Menopause affects every woman differently — some experience mild transitions, while others face severe symptoms that disrupt sleep, mood, cognition, and quality of life. But what was once seen as an individual journey is now emerging as a collective challenge.

Consider this: if three-quarters of a billion women are simultaneously navigating post-menopause, the economic cost of untreated symptoms (absenteeism, productivity loss, healthcare strain) becomes staggering. Yet, in most societies, menopause support remains patchy, underfunded, or shrouded in stigma.

Why Systems Are Not Ready

Healthcare: Training for doctors on menopause remains minimal in many countries. Hormone therapies and non-hormonal interventions are still underutilized.
Policy: Few labor policies account for midlife women’s unique health needs, despite their growing role in the workforce and caregiving.
Social perception: Silence and cultural taboos around menopause prevent open discussion, research investment, and innovation.

This mismatch between scale and readiness means societies risk being overwhelmed by what could have been anticipated and managed.

The Opportunity in the Shift

But here’s the reframing: menopause is not just a health issue — it’s an opportunity to redesign systems.

Medical innovation: New therapies, supplements, and holistic interventions are rising.
Workplace adaptation: Companies that build menopause-friendly environments gain resilience and retain talent.
Community models: Retirement and eldercare solutions that integrate menopause-related needs will better serve aging populations.

Menopause, once hidden in the margins, can become a catalyst for rethinking aging as empowerment.

Conclusion

The scale of menopause — 774 million women by 2030 — is not simply a health milestone, but an economic and societal inflection point. If left unaddressed, the challenges of untreated symptoms, lost productivity, and increased health costs will compound into a global crisis. But if we act now, the numbers tell another story: millions of women empowered to thrive in their 60s and beyond, societies benefiting from their extended vitality, and economies enriched by their participation.

This is where the future must shift — from treatment to prevention, from silence to dialogue, and from fragmented care to systemic support. Health systems, policymakers, and communities alike must see menopause as a public health priority, not a private struggle.

As we look ahead, the real question is no longer whether women will reach menopause at scale — they already are. The question is whether we will rise to meet them with dignity, science, and solutions that work.

This leads us to Series 4 of 7: Prevention and Preparedness. Here, we explore how women, health professionals, and policy architects can move from being passive observers to active shapers of the menopause journey — building resilient systems, adopting proactive health measures, and investing in solutions that extend not just lifespan but healthspan.

copyright notification------

This article "Health Economic: Menopause at Scale — Why 774 Million Women Matter" is forms part of my dissertation. All materials herein are protected by copyright and academic intellectual property laws. No part of this work may be reproduced, published, or distributed in whole or in part without express written permission from the author, except for academic citation or fair use with proper attribution. Based on verified data, peer-reviewed literature, and insights from national and global agencies and with the help of AI for deep research.

Citation Format

Lendez, Mariza (2025). [Health Economic: Menopause at Scale — Why 774 Million Women Matter] In "Designing a Purpose-Driven Retirement Model Based on the IKIGAI Philosophy" (unpublished dissertation). Philippine Women's University.

Citation:

World Health Organization. (2022). Decade of Healthy Ageing: Proposal for Action (Box 1 Key Ageing Facts). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/documents/decade-of-health-ageing/decade-ageing-proposal-en.pdf

Mariza Lendez

The author is a purpose-driven researcher and advocate for dignified aging. Drawing from peer-reviewed studies, national data, and lived experiences, she offers an unfiltered lens into the realities of retiring in developing countries. Her dissertation, “Designing a Purpose-Driven Retirement Model Based on the IKIGAI Philosophy,” informs her mission: to serve as the eyes and ears of anxious retirees seeking not just a place—but a meaningful way—to live the last phase of life.