The main findings and conclusions of epidemiological research on schizophrenia in the period under review concern: the incidence of the disorder across different cultures; its associations with gender and age and the possibility that it may be declining; an unexplained exceptionally high frequency of schizophrenia among Afro-Caribbean patients in the UK; a better outcome in the developing countries; an association of a fraction of the incidence with influenza epidemics; and additional evidence of the role of genetic risk factors. A critical evaluation of the complex pattern suggested by such findings should lead to more sharply focused research.