Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions faced by people all across the world. Experiencing depression can have a massive impact on a person’s life which involves emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
According to the latest figures, around 280 million individuals suffer from depression globally, including women suffering from depression almost twice as much as men. In this article, we are going to highlight the latest figures, demographic distribution, types, and impact of depression among people in 2024.
Key Depression Statistics
- 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men are likely to experience major depression in their life.
- In the United States around 20.78% of adults live with some form of mental illness.
- Major depressive episodes are more common among adult women.
- Over 1 in 10 teenagers or young adults are living with depression in the U.S.
- 17.3 million adults have faced at least one major depressive episode in the United States.
- 36.7% of the women in the United States were diagnosed with depression in their lifetime.
- Age groups 18 to 25 have the highest risk of depressive episodes.
- Depression is highly common among people who give birth. Around 10% of pregnant women or women who have given birth suffer from depression.
- 28.2% of adults find it challenging to find proper care for depression and other mental health conditions.
How Many People Suffer From Depression?
Around 280 million people globally suffer from depression, according to a report by WHO. Depression is highly common among individuals of all age groups. In Fact, 1.9 million of the people who are diagnosed with depression are aged between 3 to 17. The highest age group to experience depression is 18 to 29 years old with 21%. Followed by people aged 45 to 65 as the second leading age group who suffer from depression by 18.4%.
Depression Statistics worldwide
About 1 in 15 adults is affected by Depression in any given year and 1 in 6 people are likely to experience depression in their life. According to a study by Our World In Data, it was revealed that 3.4% of the population worldwide, which amounts to 264 million people, is suffering from depression.
Highest Rate of Depression by Country
According to a report by WHO, Ukraine is the leading country globally with the highest share of the population (6.3%) feeling depressed. Followed by the United States is the second leading country with the highest percentage of the population being depressed (5.9%). In addition, Australia and Estonia ranked third and fourth, respectively, with 5.9% of the population suffering from depression.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the top 10 countries with the highest rate of depression:
| Country | Share of population depressed |
| Ukraine | 6.3% |
| United States | 5.9% |
| Australia | 5.9% |
| Estonia | 5.9% |
| Brazil | 5.8% |
| Greece | 5.7% |
| Portugal | 5.7% |
| Belarus | 5.6% |
| Finland | 5.6% |
| Lithuania | 5.6% |
Source: worldpopulationreview
Countries with the lowest rates of Depression
The Solomon Islands is the leading country with the lowest number of people (2.9%) suffering from depression. Followed by Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste in second and third position, respectively, with 3% of the population having depression.
Below we have mentioned the top 10 countries with the lowest rates of Depression worldwide:
| Country | Share of population depressed |
| Solomon Islands | 2.9% |
| Papua New Guinea | 3% |
| Timor Leste | 3% |
| Vanuatu | 3.1% |
| Kiribati | 3.1% |
| Micronesia | 3.1% |
| Nepal | 3.2% |
| Laos | 3.2% |
| Samoa | 3.2% |
| Tonga | 3.2% |
Percentage of the worldwide population that had depression, by gender
Reports suggest that females are more likely to suffer from depression compared to men. In Fact, over the years the percentage of females having depression has almost doubled compared to males. For example, in 2000 the percentage of the female population having depression was 4.45%, while the share for males was 2.93%. The situation hasn’t changed in 2019 as the percentage of females having depression is 4.29%, while for males the percentage is 2.87%.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing the percentage of male and female populations having depression from 2000 to 2019:
| Year | Females | Males |
| 2000 | 4.45% | 2.93% |
| 2001 | 4.45% | 2.94% |
| 2002 | 4.45% | 2.95% |
| 2003 | 4.46% | 2.95% |
| 2004 | 4.46% | 2.96% |
| 2005 | 4.46% | 2.96% |
| 2006 | 4.44% | 2.95% |
| 2007 | 4.39% | 2.91% |
| 2008 | 4.33% | 2.87% |
| 2009 | 4.27% | 2.84% |
| 2010 | 4.25% | 2.83% |
| 2011 | 4.25% | 2.82% |
| 2012 | 4.26% | 2.83% |
| 2013 | 4.26% | 2.83% |
| 2014 | 4.27% | 2.83% |
| 2015 | 4.28% | 2.84% |
| 2016 | 4.28% | 2.84% |
| 2017 | 4.29% | 2.85% |
| 2018 | 4.29% | 2.86% |
| 2019 | 4.29% | 2.87% |
Source: Statista
Depression Statistics in the United States
A study by Gallup revealed that around 29% of individuals in the United States have been diagnosed with depression during their lifetime. In Fact, Depression is more common among females compared to males. Around 3.5% of men are depressed to 6% of women which is almost double in the United States.
The most common age group among females to experience depressive episodes is between the ages of 18 to 25 years old. Apart from this, depression is also highly common among the younger audience of both genders. As 28% of teenage girls and almost 12% of teenage boys have experienced major depressive episodes in 2022.
Share of U.S. adults who had been diagnosed with depression, 2017 and 2023, by gender
As of 2023, almost 37% of the women in the United States have reported being diagnosed with depression in their lifetime. While the percentage of men who have reported being diagnosed with depression in their lifetime was 20.4%, showcasing a difference of about 17%.
| Year | Male | Female |
| 2017 | 14.7% | 26.2% |
| 2023 | 20.4% | 36.7% |
Source: Statista
Major depressive episodes among U.S women, by age
In 2022, it was estimated that American women aged between 18 to 20 years were experiencing major depressive episodes in the past year by 19.7% which is the highest compared to other age groups. Statistics also show U.S. women aged 21 to 25 as the second leading age group with 17.9% of women facing major depressive episodes.
Below we have mentioned a detailed table showcasing the percentage of females in the United States who have experienced major depressive episodes in 2022:
| Age Group | Percentage of female respondents |
| 18 to 20 years | 19.7% |
| 21 to 25 years | 17.9% |
| 26 to 29 years | 11.1% |
| 30 to 34 years | 9% |
| 35 to 39 years | 7% |
| 40 to 44 years | 5.8% |
| 45 to 49 years | 7.5% |
| 50 to 54 years | 6% |
| 55 to 59 years | 4.2% |
| 60 to 64 years | 4.2% |
| 65 and older | 2.7% |
Source: Statista
Major depressive episode among U.S. youths
In 2022, 11.5% of males in the United States reported having a major depressive episode, compared to 28% of females in the same year. In 2021, 12% of teenage boys and 30.1% of teenage girls reported suffering from a major depressive episode. According to statistics teenage girls have experienced depressive episodes more than teenage boys.
Below we have mentioned a table showcasing major depressive episodes among U.S. youths from 2004 to 2022:
| Year | Male | Female |
| 2004 | 5% | 13.1% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | 13.3% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | 11.8% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | 11.9% |
| 2008 | 4.3% | 13.5% |
| 2009 | 4.7% | 11.7% |
| 2010 | 4.4% | 11.9% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | 11.1% |
| 2012 | 4.7% | 13.7% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | 16.2% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | 17.3% |
| 2015 | 5.8% | 19.5% |
| 2016 | 6.4% | 19.4% |
| 2017 | 6.8% | 20% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | 21.5% |
| 2019 | 8.8% | 23% |
| 2020 | 9.2% | 25.2% |
| 2021 | 12% | 30.1% |
| 2022 | 11.5% | 28% |
Source: Statista
Depression Statistics by Type
In this section, we are going to take a look at different types of depression suffered by people globally. Each type of depression is separate and often consists of different symptoms.
1. Major depressive disorder
Often, when people mention they are suffering from “depression,” the majority of the time, people are referring to Major or Clinical depression. Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders faced by people in the United States. According to reports, an estimated 21 million adults, or around 8.3% of the total adult population in the United States have been through at least one episode of major depression in 2021.
Episodes of major depression disorder were more common among:
- 10.3% of females suffer from Major depressive disorder, while the share of males is 6.2%.
- People between the leading age group 18 to 25 suffer from major depression disorder by 18.6%.
- People who describe themselves as being of two or more ethnicities or races.
2. Persistent depressive disorder
This is a type of chronic depression that usually lasts about 2 years or longer. Often referred to as “dysthymia,” this kind of depression includes milder depression symptoms, which are often long-lasting. The changes in mood for a person associated with or suffering from persistent depression might be less severe. However, it can still result in quite distress for the person.
According to reports, around 3% of the United States population has suffered from persistent depressive disorder.
3. Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is another common type of mental disorder faced by people globally. This type of depression involves a variety of mood shifts from mania to depression. Although, this kind of mental disorder can often be challenging for people to manage. Not everyone who suffers from bipolar disorder will experience or go through a depressive episode. In Fact, in many cases, people do suffer an episode but many people don’t.
Individuals who are associated with bipolar I disorder often have mania episodes, which often lead to episodes of depression. Individuals with bipolar II are likely to experience alternating episodes of hypomania and depression.
- Research suggests that the lifetime prevalence of individuals who have experienced or have bipolar I is 1%.
- The lifetime prevalence of Bipolar II is 1.57%.
- Another report by the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that a total of 2.8% of U.S. adults, or around 5 million people, experience a bipolar disorder diagnosis.
4. Seasonal depression
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of major depressive disorder that is provoked through seasonal patterns. It basically includes shifts and changes in mood that take place depending on the changes in the seasons.
This type of depressive disorder is likely to begin in autumn and often lasts through the winter. While in some cases, people experience seasonal depression symptoms of seasonal depression during the spring and summer. Research suggests that almost 70% of the seasonal depression symptoms are likely to reappear each year for people suffering from the condition. According to reports, around 5% of the United States adults go through seasonal depression.
Season depression commonly affects the following types of people:
- Females
- Young Adults
- Individuals who tend to live at higher altitudes
Symptoms of Seasonal depressive order:
- Depression
- Trouble in sleeping
- Low energy
- trouble concentrating
- Thoughts of suicide
5. Postpartum depression
Postpartum Depression is a type of depression that takes place after the birth of a baby. This type of depression is highly common among women who have recently given birth, with 1 in 7 new mothers suffering from this type of mental disorder.
Postpartum depression is a serious disorder and should never be taken lightly among people regardless of it being highly common among new mothers. People suffering from this type of mental disorder often tend to feel empty, sad, and emotionally unstable. It can cause major mood shifts, exhaustion, and even a sense of hopelessness in life after giving birth.
Common symptoms of Postpartum Depression:
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression can vary from person to person. In some cases, new mothers can feel few symptoms right after giving birth, while in other cases it can take up to 1 to 3 weeks after delivering the baby.
- Feeling extremely sad
- Crying a lot on a regular basis
- Having thoughts of hurting yourself or the newly born baby
- Being uninterested in the baby
- Lack of energy and motivation
- Unable to sleep or sleeping too much
- Feeling extremely anxious
- Suffering from chronic pains, headaches, and stomach issues
- Feeling guilty or worthless
- loss of appetite
6. Psychotic depression
Major depressive disorder with psychotic features also referred to as Psychotic Depression is a kind of depression that includes psychosis during each episode of depression. Reports suggest that MDD with psychosis affects around 10% to 19% of the individuals who have experienced an episode of Major depression.
Symptoms of Psychotic Depression:
- Witnessing Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Psychomotor impairment
- A state of stupor
According to a research review that took place in 2021, depression with psychotic features affects:
- About 4 in every 1,000 adults
- Among 14 and 30 adults in every 1,000 people who are aged more than 60
FAQs
What percentage of people are depressed?
Around 280 million people worldwide are depressed or have faced a major depressive episode at least once.
What percentage of people in the US are depressed?
An estimated 21 million adults or 8.3% of the individuals in the United States are depressed or have encountered at least one episode of major depression.
What are the statistics on mental health?
Over 1 in 5 adults in the US suffer from mental health. While more than 1 in 5 people aged 13 to 18 are either currently experiencing or at some point in their life experience mental health issues.
What country has the highest rate of depression?
Ukraine is the leading country that has the highest rate of depression with a 6.3% share of the population experiencing depression.
Who suffers higher rates of depression?
Women suffer higher rates of depression compared to men at almost any stage. In fact, the ratio of women suffering from depression is almost double that of men.
What is the 4 of depression?
The 4 types of depression are Major depression, Bipolar disorder, Persistent depressive disorder, and Seasonal affective disorder.
What disease has the highest rate of depression?
Heart attack is the most common disease that has the highest rate of depression 40% to 65%. Followed by Coronary artery disease by 18% to 20%.
Wrapping Up
The above-mentioned statistics clearly indicate that depression is highly common among people of all age groups and genders with a total of 280 million experiencing it based on the latest figures. Symptoms such as Persistent sadness, anxiousness, hopelessness, lack of sleep, etc. are signs of depression. But regardless of how common depression is, it’s important to not take this mental health condition lightly and seek proper treatment. We hope this article has helped gain a better understanding of depression and mental health.
