Depression Statistics In 2023 – Forbes
About 5% of adults globally have depression. That number is likely even higher as not everyone who has depression obtains an official diagnosis.
By Mara Santilli; Medically reviewed by Sabrina Romanoff, Psy.D.
To draw awareness to the state of mental health in the U.S. and around the world, we’ve gathered some statistics about depression. The numbers shed light on the fact that certain population groups are disproportionately affected by depression, including women and Black and Latinx communities. Reading through the statistics surrounding depression may hopefully help foster a better sense of understanding about either your own mental health or that of a friend or loved one. Ultimately, the numbers show you are not alone if you are living with depression.
Depression Statistics at a Glance
Depression can be hereditary: People who have an immediate family member living with depression may have a two to three times greater risk of having depression, according to Stanford Medicine.
About 20.78% of adults in the U.S., or 50 million Americans, live with mental illness, per 2019-2020 data from Mental Health America.
About 21 million adults in the U.S. (8.4%) have experienced a major depressive episode.
Adult women are more likely to have a major depressive episode: The prevalence among women is 10.5% versus 6.2% among men, according to statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health.
People who reported their racial identity as two or more races had the highest prevalence of major depressive episodes, at 15.9%.
More than one in 10 young people in the U.S. are living with depression that disrupts their school, work or home life; 17% of people ages 12 to 17 have had one major depressive episode within this past year.
Young adults aged 18 to 25 are at the highest risk of a major depressive episode per a report from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Depression is more common in people who give birth: 10% of pregnant people and people who have just given birth experience depression, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The severity of symptoms range from 2.8% of U.S. adults experiencing severe depression symptoms, 4.2% experiencing moderate symptoms and 11.5% experiencing mild symptoms, per 2019 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Mental health conditions were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. From August 2020 to February 2021, the percentage of adults with a diagnosed anxiety or depressive disorder went from 36.4% to 41.5%, with the largest increases in the 18 to 29 age category.
See full article for data sources.