The prevalence of essential tremor increases with age. A study that surveys people in a retirement community will come to a different conclusion than one that surveys people in a college town. Among people of all ages, the prevalence of essential tremor varies from 4,000 to 40,000 people per 1,000,000 of population. Essential tremor is 10 times more frequent than Parkinson disease. This reflects the benign nature of essential tremor.
Essential tremor affects men and women equally.
55 men for every 45 women. Essential tremor, like Parkinson disease, can begin in adolescence. In most people with essential tremor the trembling increases as time passes. And a few people with essential tremor become disabled. The disability results solely from the trembling.