Global Mental Health Crisis: Key Statistics and Disorders Explained

The World Health Organization (WHO) is meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, this week for the 79th World Health Assembly, where mental health is among more than 75 agenda items to be discussed.

More than 1 billion people — roughly one in eight globally — currently live with a mental health condition, according to the WHO, and that number is rising.

Among those affected, young people are hardest hit, while men face higher suicide rates and women experience disproportionately higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Despite the crisis scale, mental health remains chronically underfunded; median government spending globally is just 2 percent of health budgets, per the WHO.

Mental health disorders affect how people feel, think, and behave.

The WHO and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) categorize these conditions into several groups.

Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorders, affect a person’s mental state, often causing prolonged sadness or mood swings.

Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety, and phobias, characterized by fear or worry.

Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, involve delusions, distorted thinking, and hallucinations.

Trauma-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), develop in response to distressing or life-threatening events.

Other conditions include eating disorders, personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, dissociative disorders, and substance use disorders.

Explore the table below to learn more about these conditions.

Mental health disorders are widespread and increasing globally.

According to the WHO, one in eight people lives with a mental health condition, with anxiety and depressive disorders being the most common.

These disorders affect people across income groups, but treatment is scarcer in low- and middle-income countries.

Spending on mental health ranges from $0.04 per capita in low-income countries to $0.34 in lower-middle-income countries and $65.89 in high-income countries, according to the WHO Mental Health Atlas 2024, which collected data from 75 countries.

The prevalence of mental health disorders across WHO regions in 2019 was as follows: [data referenced in original table].

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence rose globally, with anxiety and depression surging particularly. According to the latest Global Burden of Disease report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the most common disorders globally include: [data referenced].

Mental health disorders are the leading global contributors to disability, accounting for roughly one in every six years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide — the second biggest cause of long-term disability, per the WHO.

According to an analysis published in the medical journal The Lancet, about 740,000 suicides are reported annually — one death every 43 seconds on average.

Suicide is the 17th leading cause of death across all ages but rises sharply among young people. It is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 globally and the second leading cause among 15-to-29-year-old women.

More men die by suicide than women. In 2021, the incidence of male suicides was four times higher than female suicides globally, with a rate of 12.8 per 100,000 for males compared to 5.4 per 100,000 for females.

According to the WHO, vulnerable groups facing discrimination, such as refugees, Indigenous people, and the LGBTQ+ community, see higher suicide rates.

An estimated 359 million people globally have an anxiety disorder, a number that has increased by more than 50 percent since 1990.

Women are more likely to be affected by anxiety disorders than men, per the WHO. Young people are also heavily affected, with 7.6 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds suffering from the disorder.

However, only one in four people with anxiety receives treatment, according to the WHO.

Anxiety disorders also increase the risk for developing depression or substance use disorders.

According to the WHO and IHME, Portugal has the highest rates of anxiety, with 13.3 percent of the population suffering from some anxiety disorder, followed by Brazil (12.4 percent) and Iran (12.3 percent).

The map below shows the percentage of people in each country with anxiety.

An estimated 332 million people live with depression.

According to the WHO, depression is the single largest contributor to disability worldwide in terms of years living with a disability.

Women are more likely to develop a depressive disorder than men, with violence, trauma, and hormonal factors contributing to higher rates. Globally, more than 10 percent of pregnant women and new mothers experience depression.

Research has shown that women tend to manifest mental health issues internally through depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, while men tend to externalize through substance abuse and antisocial personality disorders.

According to the WHO and IHME, Syria has the highest rates of depressive disorders, with 8 percent of the population suffering, followed by the United Kingdom (6.8 percent) and the Netherlands (6.2 percent).

If depression is left untreated, it can lead to suicide.

The map below shows the percentage of people in each country with depressive disorders.