Depression statistics 2025

Over 280 million people suffer from depression worldwide, and other recent facts and statistics about depression.

Further reading: Depression test Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Medication

Depression is a mental health disorder that's characterised by feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness and many other psychological and physical symptoms. Depression can affect people of all ages, genders and backgrounds.

Part of understanding the realities of depression is to get to terms with some of the research and statistics on the topic, separate from general mental health statistics. To help you develop awareness around depression, we’ve listed some depression facts and figures from leading organisations in mental health and public health.

Prevalence and demographics

In any given week, 1 in 6 adults in the UK experiences a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety. [1]
Women are more likely (19%) than men (14%) to report experiencing some form of depression in Great Britain. [2]
Adults aged 16 to 29 years are most likely to experience some form of depression (28%) in Great Britain. [2]
Disabled adults are five times (35%) more likely than non-disabled adults (7%) to experience some form of depression in Great Britain. [2]

Caregiving and vulnerable populations

Unpaid carers providing 35 or more hours of care a week have a 37% prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in Great Britain. [2]
In 2023, 1 in 5 school-age children or young people in the UK had a mental health difficulty [4]
40% of people with depression and anxiety disorders also have a long-term condition (LTC) such as cardiovascular disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders. [5]

Workplace and employment

In 2023, 1 in 4 new personal independence payment (PIP) awards were due to depression and anxiety. [3]
Adults economically inactive due to long-term sickness have a 59% prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms in Great Britain. [2]

Economics and global impact

Globally, over 280 million people suffer from depression. [6]
Depression is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the second largest contributor to global disability, accounting for 5.6% of all years lived with disability in 2019. [6]
The global economy loses over $1 trillion annually due to lost productivity resulting from depression and anxiety. [7]

Mental Health services and support

In August 2022, around 145,000 people accessed talking therapies in England, representing an increase of 5% compared with August 2021. [2]
In autumn 2022, around 1 in 6 (16%) adults aged 16 years and over in Great Britain reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms, a rise from 10% before the COVID-19 pandemic. [2]
At the end of June 2024, there were 1.94 million people in contact with mental health services in England, with 416,896 new referrals received during that month. [8]

The COVID-19 pandemic

Around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 (27 January to 7 March); this is an increase since November 2020 (19%) and more than double that observed before the COVID-19 pandemic (10%) [9]
Younger adults and women were more likely to experience some form of depression in that same period, with over 4 in 10 (43%) women aged 16 to 29 years experiencing depressive symptoms, compared with 26% of men of the same age [9]
In early 2021, disabled (39%) and clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) adults (31%) were more likely to experience some form of depression than non-disabled (13%) and non-CEV adults (20%) [9]

Depression statistics you should know