KCE Glossary

Prevalence is the total number of cases of a particular disease or condition in a given population at a given time or within a given period. Prevalence provides information about the burden of disease in the population and is complementary to incidence.

Types of prevalence:
1.    Point prevalence
The number of people suffering from a particular condition at a specific point in time, divided by the total number of people in the population.
For example: ‘How many people had diabetes in Belgium on 1 January 2025?’

2.    Period prevalence
The number of people who suffered from the condition during a specific period (e.g. one year).
For example: ‘How many people had at least one depressive episode during 2024?’

3.    Lifetime prevalence
The percentage of people in a population who have ever had the condition in their lifetime.