Breast cancer screening by country

Who is invited to breast screening in the UK?

All four UK nations invite women from 50 every three years. England invites women up to their 71st birthday; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland say 50 to 70. Women above the upper age can ask for an appointment.

At what age does breast screening start in Europe?

Most European programmes invite women from 50 to 69 or 74 every two years. Sweden starts at 40, and Poland and Portugal at 45. Germany and Spain have approved wider age ranges, Italy has funded one, and Norway is considering one.

What are the screening ages in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand?

The US has a national recommendation rather than an invitation programme, and screening in Canada is run by each province. Australia and New Zealand invite women every two years.

How does breast screening work in Asia?

Japan and South Korea offer mammograms every two years from 40. India and Indonesia offer a clinical breast examination by a health worker from 30, with ultrasound where needed, rather than a mammogram.

Why do screening ages differ between countries?

• Starting age: most programmes here start at 50. Sweden, Japan and South Korea start at 40, as does the US recommendation, and Poland, Portugal and New Zealand start at 45. India and Indonesia offer a clinical breast examination from 30.
• How often: every 2 years is the most common interval. The four UK nations screen every 3 years, Indonesia's free health check is yearly, and India's clinical examination is every 5 years. Sweden and Finland set a range in months.
• Invitation or recommendation: the UK nations and most European programmes send invitations. The US has a national recommendation rather than a programme, screening in Canada is run by each province, and some programmes rely on people booking themselves.
• Upper age: from 65 to 75, with no upper limit in Japan or South Korea. Some countries are raising it: Germany moved to 75 in 2024, and New Zealand is moving to 74 by 2029.
• Test: almost every programme uses mammography. Portugal has made 3D tomosynthesis its main test, France adds a clinical breast examination, and India and Indonesia use a clinical breast examination with ultrasound where needed.
• Breast density: Japan will report breast density on every result from April 2027, and several Australian states have started reporting it.

For what screening involves in the UK, read our breast screening guide. For dense breast tissue, see dense breasts.

How was this table made?

1. We chose the four UK nations, the main English-speaking countries, the largest EU countries, the Nordic programmes and major programmes in Asia, including Indonesia.
2. For each, we read the official programme, health ministry or guideline page, in the original language where needed, and recorded who is invited, the age range, the interval and the test.
3. Where a country has no national programme, we show the national recommendation and, for Canada, one provincial programme as an example.
4. Where official pages disagree, we used the programme's own page and noted the difference in the row.
5. Where an official site blocked automated access, we used the programme's own leaflet or another page from the same government. The source column names the page we used.

Rows were checked between 22 October 2026 and 22 October 2026. Report an error or a change on our corrections page.

What this table cannot tell you

• This table shows routine screening for women at average risk. Women at high risk, for example with a strong family history, are offered different checks that this table does not cover.
• An age range is not a promise of an invitation. Coverage, waiting times and costs differ within countries.
• In countries where provinces or regions run screening, local ages and intervals can differ from the national rule shown.
• Screening is for people without symptoms. A new breast change should be checked by a doctor straight away, whatever your age.
• Rules change. We checked each row on the date shown, and the official page in each row always wins.
• This is a compilation by Breast Cancer Charity, not official guidance, and not advice about whether you should be screened.

Download and cite this table

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Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. You can reuse the table with credit. Programmes change, so cite the official page in each row and the date it was checked.

Suggested citationBreast Cancer Charity (2026). Breast screening by country: ages, intervals and tests. Data snapshot 2026.10, published 22 October 2026. https://breastcancer-charity.org/breast-screening-by-country/

Suggested wordingIn Breast Cancer Charity's October 2026 table of 25 countries, 19 of 29 breast screening programmes and guidelines start at age 50, and 7 countries offer screening from age 40 or younger.

Questions about breast screening by country