What began as a lighthearted challenge among 30 friends in Melbourne has since blossomed into a global movement, with Movember funding over 1,320 men's health projects and raising more than $1.3 billion to tackle the stark realities that men are 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide and face a 1 in 8 lifetime risk of prostate cancer.
Key Takeaways
- Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,320 men’s health projects around the world
- Movember has raised over $1.3 billion USD globally since its inception in Melbourne
- The Movember foundation is currently active in 21 different countries across the globe
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK
- 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
- In the United States, an estimated 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2024
- Globally, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day
- In the US, men die by suicide 3.8 times more often than women
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for men under the age of 44 in several Western countries
- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men aged 15 to 39
- 1 in 250 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in their lifetime
- The average age of a man diagnosed with testicular cancer is approximately 33
- On average, men die 4.5 years earlier than women globally
- 60% of all premature deaths in men are due to preventable or treatable conditions
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men globally, killing over 9 million men annually
Movember funds global men's health projects to tackle cancer and suicide.
Global Men's Health
- On average, men die 4.5 years earlier than women globally
- 60% of all premature deaths in men are due to preventable or treatable conditions
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men globally, killing over 9 million men annually
- Physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality
- Movember’s "Move" challenge registrants walked a combined total of over 10 million miles in 2022
- Men are 2 times more likely than women to suffer from alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations
- Men account for 70% of all homicides globally
- More than 1 in 3 men in the USA have some form of cardiovascular disease
- 40% of men globally do not see a doctor unless they have a serious health concern
- Type 2 diabetes is more common in men than women at lower Body Mass Index (BMI) levels
- Movember's "Man Up" documentary series was watched by over 2 million people, sparking a national debate on masculinity
- Men are less likely to have health insurance than women in the United States
- Smoking-related deaths are significantly higher in men, with roughly 15.3% of men smoking vs 12.7% of women
- Over 350,000 men die from work-related accidents globally each year
- Movember’s "Social Connections" grant provided $6.1 million to 12 projects across three countries
- Men make up 93% of the prison population worldwide, which is linked to higher rates of mental health issues
- High blood pressure is more prevalent in men under 55 compared to women of the same age
- Movember's "The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride" partnered with 700 cities in 2023
- Men have a 1 in 2 chance of developing cancer at some point in their life, compared to 1 in 3 for women
- Male life expectancy in the US dropped to 73.5 years in 2021, the lowest in two decades
- Movember has participated in the release of 12 "Men’s Health Report Cards" in Australian states to influence funding
- About 50% of the gender gap in mortality is attributed to behavioral factors such as smoking and risk-taking
- Men are more likely to be victims of violent crime, which significantly impacts long-term mental health
- In the UK, men's healthy life expectancy is currently 62.8 years, meaning many spend decades in poor health
- Movember’s "Real Stories" initiative has been viewed by 5 million men to help normalize health discussions
- Men account for 66% of deaths from opioid overdoses globally
- Movember’s "Gamer Health" trial reached over 20,000 young men to promote physical movement during screen time
- Around 1 in 5 men will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime
- Movember advocates for "Gender Responsive" health policies, which currently exist in only 6 of the 21 Movember countries
- 90% of Movember participants say they told at least one man to see a doctor about his health
Global Men's Health Interpretation
We are staring down a preventable, four-and-a-half year head start on our own funerals, with our stubbornness, silence, and societal scripts serving as the primary architects.
Mental Health & Suicide
- Globally, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day
- In the US, men die by suicide 3.8 times more often than women
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for men under the age of 44 in several Western countries
- 75% of all suicides in the UK are committed by men
- 3 out of 4 suicides in Australia are men
- Men between the ages of 45 and 54 have the highest suicide rates in the United States
- Movember's "Social Connections" research shows that 1 in 4 men feel they have no close friends to talk to
- Men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues, with only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies being for men
- Movember’s "Family Man" tool has helped over 50,000 fathers improve their parenting and reduce stress
- Rates of suicide are significantly higher among veterans than the general civilian population in the US
- Indigenous men in Australia are twice as likely to die by suicide as non-Indigenous men
- Movember’s "Rooty Hill" project showed a 30% increase in young men's willingness to discuss mental health
- LGBTQ+ men are 3 times more likely to experience a mental health condition than heterosexual men
- Roughly 60% of people with a mental health condition do not receive any treatment in a given year
- Movember's "Ahead of the Game" program was proven to increase mental health literacy in 85% of participants
- Around 10% of men experience paternal postpartum depression after the birth of a child
- Loneliness in men increases the risk of early death by 26%
- The Movember "Spot the Signs" campaign educated over 2 million men on how to identify suicidal ideation in friends
- Firearms are used in over 50% of all male suicide deaths in the USA
- Men are more likely to use "avoidance coping" strategies like alcohol abuse when dealing with depression
- Depression in men is often underdiagnosed because symptoms may present as irritability or anger rather than sadness
- Movember’s "The May Eight" initiative encouraged 250,000 Aussie men to catch up with a friend for health reasons
- Work-related stress affects 1 in 3 men to the point of physical illness
- Movember’s "Breaking the Cycle" project reduced behavioral issues in young boys by 15% through mentorship
- 80% of people who die by suicide are male in most high-income countries
- Men who were victims of child abuse are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than those who weren't
- Unemployment is associated with a 2-fold increase in the risk of male suicide
- The "Movember Conversations" tool uses AI to simulate difficult conversations to train friends on how to listen
- Men over the age of 85 have the highest suicide rate of any demographic in the United States
- Movember has invested over $100 million into mental health and suicide prevention programs since 2006
Mental Health & Suicide Interpretation
This stark landscape of statistics paints a tragic and urgent picture: the very scripts of masculinity—stoicism, self-reliance, and avoidance—that men are handed at birth are, in fact, the faulty blueprints for a silent crisis, where loneliness becomes lethal and a mustache becomes a message that it's time to talk, listen, and truly connect.
Organizational Impact
- Since 2003, Movember has funded more than 1,320 men’s health projects around the world
- Movember has raised over $1.3 billion USD globally since its inception in Melbourne
- The Movember foundation is currently active in 21 different countries across the globe
- In 2022, the Movember campaign engaged 338,914 individual registered fundraisers
- Movember aims to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by the year 2030
- 77% of funds raised by Movember are allocated directly to men's health programs and research
- The original Movember in 2003 started with exactly 30 participants known as the original Mo Bros
- Movember’s "Rooty Hill" project invested $2 million into improving health outcomes for indigenous men in Australia
- Movember is ranked in the top 50 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in the world by the NGO Advisor
- The Movember Global Action Plan (GAP) has facilitated collaboration between over 350 world-class cancer researchers
- Movember invested $6.1 million into the "Social Connections" initiative to combat male loneliness
- The "Move for Movember" challenge encourages supporters to walk or run 60km over the month
- In its first year (2003), zero dollars were raised as the founders focused on awareness only
- Movember has funded the development of 54 different digital health tools for men
- The "Ahead of the Game" program has reached over 100,000 young athletes to teach mental resilience
- Movember partnered with the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride which has raised over $37 million since 2012
- The Movember foundation employs approximately 200 full-time staff members globally
- Movember USA raised $18.3 million in the 2021 fiscal year specifically for local programs
- The "True North" initiative has improved the quality of life for over 22,000 men living with prostate cancer
- Movember's "Making Connections" initiative works with 16 different sites across the US to improve mental health for veterans
- Movember invested $4.9 million into the "Veterans and First Responders" grant program in 2020
- The Movember "SpeakEasy" workshops reached over 5,000 men in 2021 to encourage vulnerable conversations
- Movember has dedicated $97 million to the Global Action Plan for prostate cancer research since 2011
- The "Ironman" registry, funded by Movember, tracks clinical outcomes of over 5,000 men with advanced prostate cancer
- 14.5% of Movember’s annual operating budget is spent on fundraising costs
- Movember provides funding to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, which has seen a 50% drop in death rates since 1993
- The "Mo Sisters" (female supporters) make up approximately 25% of the total registered participants
- Movember’s "New Media" campaign reaches an estimated 1.5 billion media impressions annually
- Movember has collaborated with over 20 different national health departments to influence policy
- Total donations from the UK market alone exceeded £12 million in 2022
Organizational Impact Interpretation
From a humble start with thirty mustaches and zero dollars, Movember has cultivated a global, multi-faceted machine that has raised over a billion dollars to fund everything from cancer research to combating loneliness, proving that a simple, hairy idea can grow into a serious force for saving men's lives.
Prostate Cancer
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK
- 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
- In the United States, an estimated 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2024
- Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men
- Black men are 2.1 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men
- If detected early (Stage 1 or 2), the 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer is near 100%
- Prostate cancer accounts for about 15% of all new cancer cases in American men
- About 35,250 men die from prostate cancer annually in the US
- Men with a father or brother who had prostate cancer have double the risk of developing the disease
- The average age of diagnosis for prostate cancer is 67 years old
- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, after lung cancer
- Approximately 3.1 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are still alive today
- The 10-year survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer combined is 98%
- Men over the age of 65 account for 60% of all prostate cancer diagnoses
- Movember funded the discovery of a 4-kallikrein panel blood test (4Kscore) to predict aggressive prostate cancer
- About 1 in 41 men will die of prostate cancer
- Transgender women who have had gender-affirming hormone therapy can still develop prostate cancer
- Obesity increases the risk of developing aggressive types of prostate cancer by about 20%
- Movember-funded researchers identified 14 genetic markers that identify high-risk prostate cancer patients
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening can reduce prostate cancer mortality by about 20% in certain age groups
- Roughly 12,000 men in the UK die from prostate cancer every year
- World-wide, more than 1.4 million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in North and West Europe
- Movember’s "True North" tools have been used by men in over 10 countries to manage side effects like incontinence
- Digital rectal exams (DRE) detect abnormalities in roughly 10% of men with a normal PSA level
- In Australia, prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer in men, surpassing lung cancer
- Men with the BRCA2 gene mutation have a 5-fold higher risk of developing prostate cancer
- Prostate cancer death rates declined by about 50% between 1993 and 2013 due to early detection
- Over 80% of prostate cancers are found in the local or regional stages
- Movember’s Global Action Plan 1 (GAP1) created the world’s largest database of prostate cancer tissue samples
Prostate Cancer Interpretation
While these numbers reveal a formidable enemy, they also chart a battle plan where awareness turns the tide, showing that early action can transform a common threat into a nearly always survivable one.
Testicular Cancer
- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men aged 15 to 39
- 1 in 250 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer in their lifetime
- The average age of a man diagnosed with testicular cancer is approximately 33
- Around 9,760 new cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed each year in the US
- The 5-year survival rate for testicular cancer that has not spread beyond the testicles is 99%
- Even if the cancer has spread to nearby nodes, the survival rate remains high at about 96%
- White men are 4 to 5 times more likely to develop testicular cancer than Black or Asian men
- Approximately 1 in 5,000 men will die from testicular cancer annually
- Testicular cancer is highly treatable, but early diagnosis is critical for avoiding intensive chemotherapy
- Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism) at birth increase the risk of testicular cancer by several times
- Movember’s "Nuts & Bolts" program has provided support to over 15,000 men newly diagnosed with testicular cancer
- Testicular cancer rates have more than doubled in the last 40 years in developed nations
- Only about 6% of testicular cancer cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 55
- Testicular cancer usually presents as a painless lump or swelling in one of the testicles
- Men with a brother who had testicular cancer have an 8- to 10-fold increased risk of the disease
- Movember recommends men perform a testicular self-exam once a month after a warm shower
- Around 400 men die from testicular cancer each year in the US
- Movember's "TIGER" trial is a global study designed to find the best treatment for men whose cancer has returned
- Testicular cancer in both testicles (bilateral cancer) occurs in only about 2% of patients
- Tall men may have a slightly higher risk of testicular cancer than shorter men, according to some studies
- HIV infection is associated with an increased risk of developing the seminoma type of testicular cancer
- Germ cell tumors accounts for more than 90% of all testicular cancer cases
- The Incidence of testicular cancer is highest in Northern Europe (Denmark and Norway)
- Movember’s "Global Germ Cell Cancer Observational Study" (G3) includes data from over 3,000 patients
- Men with Klinefelter syndrome have an increased risk of developing extragonadal germ cell tumors
- 80% of men who complete Movember's "Nuts & Bolts" guide report feeling more confident in managing their recovery
- About 2,300 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer in the UK every year
- Survival rates for testicular cancer in the UK have increased by 20% since the early 1970s
- Movember has invested $42 million specifically into testicular cancer research and support programs
- The transition from active treatment to "survivorship" is identified by Movember as a critical gap in men's care
Testicular Cancer Interpretation
While the odds are terrifyingly stacked against your left nut in particular, modern medicine offers such a reassuringly high chance of a full recovery that checking your own privilege—or rather, testicles—monthly is the most gallantly un-macho, life-saving habit a man can adopt.
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