Average Age of Menopause

The average age of menopause is 51; however, it can happen in women anywhere from age 30 to 50 -- or even later. The average age of menopause has actually changed over the past 100 years, and women are experiencing menopause later than they did a century ago.

 

Average Age of Menopause: A Summary

The average age of menopause is 51. However, menopause can happen anytime, from your 30s to your mid-50s or later.
 
During menopause, a woman's body begins to make less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone -- this leads to the common symptoms of menopause. A woman is said to have reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 months in a row and there are no other causes for this change.
 
Interestingly, 100 years ago, the average age of menopause was 45. However, the average life expectancy for women was 49.
 
Today, the average age of menopause has increased to 51, and the average female life expectancy is close to 80.
 
(Click Menopause to learn about factors that may affect the age at which menopause occurs.)
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD