Women's mental health statistics worldwide

Updated October 2026

In national surveys around the world, women and girls report anxiety and depression more often than men and boys, while men more often have substance use problems. The key figures below show the differences, from the Global Burden of Disease Study (a worldwide set of health estimates) ¹, a World Health Organization fact sheet ² and national surveys. National surveys, which count mainly anxiety and depression, usually find more among women. The differences lie in which conditions people have and how they seek help.

This page compares women and men, using the words each source uses. Mental health around pregnancy and after birth has its own page, our perinatal mental health statistics, and so does domestic violence. Our men's mental health statistics page looks at the same questions from men's side. An adjusted figure allows for other differences between the groups compared, such as age.

Getting help

If something on this page reflects what you are going through, you do not have to manage it alone. Our guide to finding the right therapist explains how to choose someone qualified, and the TherapyRoute directory lists therapists in many countries.

If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, our list of helplines and crisis lines worldwide gives free services by country. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Worldwide

The burden of ill health from mental disorders is higher among women, mainly through depression and anxiety. Both rose during the pandemic, more among women. A meta-analysis, or pooled estimate, combines the results of many studies into one figure. OCD is obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder. Major depressive disorder is the clinical term for serious depression.

• Worldwide, cases of major depressive disorder among females rose by an estimated 29.8% in 2020, an increase the study's model attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. (modelled estimate, 2020 data) ⁴
• Worldwide, cases of major depressive disorder among males rose by an estimated 24.0% in 2020, an increase the study's model attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. (modelled estimate, 2020 data) ⁴
• Worldwide, cases of anxiety disorders among females rose by an estimated 27.9% in 2020, an increase the study's model attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. (modelled estimate, 2020 data) ⁴
• Worldwide, cases of anxiety disorders among males rose by an estimated 21.7% in 2020, an increase the study's model attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. (modelled estimate, 2020 data) ⁴
• Among adult women worldwide, 6.2% experienced depression in 2023. (modelled estimate, 2023 data) ²
• Among adult men worldwide, 4.1% experienced depression in 2023. (modelled estimate, 2023 data) ²
• Across studies with an accurate diagnosis (not broad categories), an average of 8.4% of women had ever had an eating disorder. (pooled from prevalence studies, lifetime (ever), published 2019) ⁵
• Across studies with an accurate diagnosis (not broad categories), an average of 2.2% of men had ever had an eating disorder. (pooled from prevalence studies, lifetime (ever), published 2019) ⁵
• Pooling community studies of adults from many countries, 1.5% of women had ever had OCD. (pooled from prevalence studies, lifetime (ever), published 2020) ⁶
• Pooling community studies of adults from many countries, 1.0% of men had ever had OCD. (pooled from prevalence studies, lifetime (ever), published 2020) ⁶

Anxiety and depression in national surveys

National surveys on most continents find higher levels of anxiety and depression among women. The size of the gap varies, and in some countries it is small. Generalised anxiety disorder is ongoing worry that is hard to control, and social phobia is an intense fear of social situations. A screening questionnaire, such as the SCOFF questionnaire for eating disorders, flags people likely to have a condition; a positive screen is not a diagnosis. Mexico's survey reports women and all adults, so its two figures are not a women-and-men pair ¹².

Girls and young women

The gap often opens in adolescence. Surveys of young people in the United States and England find much higher levels of sadness, depression and poor mental health among girls than boys.

• In 2023, 38.8% of female high school students in the United States said their mental health was not good most of the time or always in the past thirty days. (survey, 2023 data) ¹⁸
• In a national survey in 2023, 18.8% of male high school students in the United States said their mental health was not good most of the time or always in the past thirty days. (survey, 2023 data) ¹⁸
• Among female high school students in the United States, 52.6% reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in the past year, in 2023. (survey, past 12 months, 2023 data) ¹⁹
• Among male high school students in the United States, 27.7% reported persistent sadness or hopelessness in the past year, in 2023. (survey, past 12 months, 2023 data) ¹⁹
• Among adolescent females aged 12 to 17 in the United States, 29.2% had a major depressive episode in the past year, in 2021. (survey, past 12 months, 2021 data) ²⁰
• Among adolescent males aged 12 to 17 in the United States, 11.5% had a major depressive episode in the past year, in 2021. (survey, past 12 months, 2021 data) ²⁰
• Among young women aged 17 to 19 in England, 31.6% had a probable mental disorder in 2023. (survey, 2023 data) ²¹
• Among young men aged 17 to 19 in England, 15.4% had a probable mental disorder in 2023. (survey, 2023 data) ²¹

Where men's figures are higher

Some conditions are more common among men. Substance use disorders, meaning harmful use of alcohol or other drugs serious enough for a diagnosis, are the clearest example. Our men's mental health statistics page covers suicide deaths.

• In Australia, 2.1% of females aged 16 to 85 had a substance use disorder in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 4.4% of males aged 16 to 85 had a substance use disorder in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷

Who seeks help

Women are more likely than men to seek and receive mental health care. Even so, many women with a mental health condition get no treatment. India's national survey report counts both no treatment and inadequate treatment in its treatment gap ²⁵. Subthreshold means symptoms just below the threshold for a diagnosis.

• In Australia, 21.6% of females aged sixteen to eighty-five saw a health professional for their mental health in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 12.9% of males aged 16 to 85 saw a health professional for their mental health in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 36.4% of males aged 16 to 85 with a mental disorder in the previous twelve months saw a health professional for their mental health, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 51.1% of females aged 16 to 85 with a mental disorder in the previous twelve months saw a health professional for their mental health, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 21.6% of females aged sixteen to eighty-five received at least one subsidised mental health medication from a pharmacy in the previous twelve months, in survey data linked to prescription records for 2020-2022. (administrative records, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 13.5% of males aged sixteen to eighty-five received at least one subsidised mental health medication from a pharmacy in the previous twelve months, in survey data linked to prescription records for 2020-2022. (administrative records, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In Australia, 6.0% of females aged sixteen to eighty-five used phone, internet or other digital mental health services in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2020-2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In a national survey run in 2020-2022, 3.6% of males aged sixteen to eighty-five in Australia used phone, internet or other digital services for their mental health, besides consultations with health professionals. (survey, past 12 months, 2020-2022 data) ⁷
• In the United States, 56.9% of adult females with a mental illness received mental health treatment in the past year, in a national survey run in 2022. (survey, past 12 months, 2022 data) ⁸
• In a national survey in 2022, 41.6% of adult males with a mental illness in the United States received mental health treatment in the past year. (survey, past 12 months, 2022 data) ⁸
• In the United States, 24.7% of women aged 18 and over had received any mental health treatment in the previous twelve months, in a national survey run in 2019. (survey, past 12 months, 2019 data) ²²
• In the United States in 2019, 11.7% of women aged 18 and over had received counselling or therapy from a mental health professional in the previous twelve months. (survey, past 12 months, 2019 data) ²²
• In England, 46.7% of women aged 16 and over with symptoms of a common mental health condition were receiving mental health treatment, in a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, 2023/4 data) ²³
• In India, the treatment gap among adult females with a current common mental disorder was 81.5%, in a national household survey run in 2015-2016 across twelve states. (survey, at one point in time, 2015-2016 data) ¹³
• Among girls aged ten to seventeen in Kenya with a diagnosed or subthreshold mental disorder, 13.7% had used services for emotional or behavioural problems in the past year, in a national survey. (survey, past 12 months, 2021 data) ²⁴
• Among boys aged ten to seventeen in Kenya with a diagnosed or subthreshold mental disorder, 8.7% had used services for emotional or behavioural problems in the past year, in a national survey. (survey, past 12 months, 2021 data) ²⁴
• In England in 2023/4, 24.0% of women aged sixteen and over reported a common mental health condition, diagnosed by a professional at any time, that was present in the previous twelve months. (survey, past 12 months, 2023/4 data) ⁹
• In England, 13.3% of men aged 16 and over reported a common mental health condition, diagnosed by a professional, that they had in the past twelve months. This comes from a national survey run in 2023/4. (survey, past 12 months, 2023/4 data) ⁹

Work

Among people in work, women report common mental health conditions more often than men. Age standardisation adjusts figures so that readers can compare groups with different age mixes fairly.

• In England in 2023/4, 23.7% of employed women aged sixteen to sixty-four had a common mental health condition in the past week, after age standardisation. (survey, at one point in time, 2023/4 data) ⁹
• In England in 2023/4, 12.3% of employed men aged sixteen to sixty-four had a common mental health condition in the past week, after age standardisation. (survey, at one point in time, 2023/4 data) ⁹

How to read these figures

Women are more likely than men to report symptoms and to seek help, which can raise recorded figures for women, especially figures that count a diagnosis. Men's distress may show more often as substance use or go unrecorded.

Surveys measure different things, from a diagnosis in the past year to symptoms in the past week, so figures differ between countries for reasons of method as well as real difference.

Differences between the sexes describe groups, not individuals. The sources here do not test causes; researchers point to differences in life circumstances, caring roles, violence and income as well as biology.

Mental health around pregnancy and birth and the effects of violence have their own pages, so this page leaves them out.

Depression and anxiety respond well to treatment, and talking therapy is one of the most effective options. Support with caring loads, money, safety and rest also matters.

If you are struggling, a psychologist or counsellor can help. Our guide on how to find the right therapist explains what to look for. If you are in distress right now, see our helplines and crisis lines worldwide.

Cite this page: TherapyRoute. Women's mental health statistics worldwide. https://www.therapyroute.com/article/womens-mental-health-statistics-worldwide-by-therapyroute. Last updated 24 October 2026.

References

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