How Common is Aphasia?

If you or someone you know has aphasia, you’re not alone!

Most people have never heard of aphasia. Unless you or a loved one is impacted by aphasia, you’re not likely to know much about it. So, it might surprise you to learn that aphasia is actually a relatively common condition. Approximately 2 million people in the United States have aphasia, though estimates vary. Approximately 180,000 people are diagnosed with aphasia every year. About 1/3 of people who have strokes get aphasia.

Aphasia affects more people than many other conditions that you probably have heard of, such as Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral palsy. However, according to a 2016 survey, 85% of people had never even heard the term “aphasia.”