How common is eczema?

Eczematous diseases are very common with an estimated prevalence of more than 10% in the general population. According to statistics 15-25% of all dermatological patients suffer from eczema. Surveys have shown that eczema prevalence is increasing.
As the different types of eczema display various prevalences, they are discussed separately:

Atopic dermatitis:

In industrialised countries the prevalence of AD in children has been recently estimated as lying between 10 and 20%. In adults the estimated prevalence is only between 1 and 3%. In general atopic dermatitis is less common in agricultural countries. During the last decades its prevalence has increased two- to threefold in industrial countries, the reasons therefore being still not really clear.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis:

The adult form affects approximately 5% of general population. It is more frequent in men than in women.

Allergic contact dermatitis:

Allergic contact dermatitis is common in adults with a supposed prevalence between 2 an 9%. Children are rarely affected.

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