Anxiety Statistics (2026): 73 Sourced Figures

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This page collects figures on anxiety. It covers how common anxiety symptoms and disorders are, who is affected, and how many people receive treatment. Most figures cover the United States. Every number links to the document that first published it. Adult symptom figures come from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports them. Diagnostic-interview figures come from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). NIMH summarizes the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) and its Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Child figures come from the CDC. Global figures come from the World Health Organization (WHO). Self-reported anxiousness comes from the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Related figures are on Depression Statistics and Mental Health Statistics. Therapy and psychiatry practices that compare record software will find the StatWharf comparison of mental health software.

Key figures at a glance

Anxiety symptoms among adults (NHIS, 2019)

NCHS Data Brief No. 378, Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Adults: United States, 2019, was published in September 2020. It uses the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) in the National Health Interview Survey. The scale covers the past two weeks. Scores of 0 to 4 mean no or minimal symptoms, 5 to 9 mild, 10 to 14 moderate and 15 to 21 severe. These are symptom measures, not diagnoses.

• The share of adults with any symptoms fell with age, from 19.5% at ages 18 to 29 to 16.6% at 30 to 44, 15.2% at 45 to 64 and 11.2% at 65 and over.
• 19.0% of women had any symptoms, compared with 11.9% of men. Severe symptoms were reported by 3.5% of women and 1.9% of men.
• By race and Hispanic origin, any symptoms were reported by 16.5% of non-Hispanic white adults, 14.6% of non-Hispanic Black adults, 14.5% of Hispanic adults and 8.5% of non-Hispanic Asian adults.

Anxiety disorders among adults (NCS-R, 2001 to 2003)

NIMH’s statistics pages report diagnostic-interview data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Harvard University led this nationally representative household survey from February 2001 to April 2003. Disorders were assessed against DSM-IV criteria. NIMH’s “any anxiety disorder” category includes eight disorders. They are panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and separation anxiety disorder. Impairment was measured with the Sheehan Disability Scale. These remain the national diagnostic-interview figures NIMH publishes for anxiety disorders.

Any anxiety disorder

• An estimated 19.1% of US adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year, and an estimated 31.1% experience one at some time in their lives.
• Past-year prevalence was higher for females, 23.4%, than for males, 14.3%.
• By age, past-year prevalence was 22.3% at 18 to 29, 22.7% at 30 to 44, 20.6% at 45 to 59 and 9.0% at 60 and older.
• Among adults with any anxiety disorder, 43.5% had mild impairment, 33.7% moderate impairment and 22.8% serious impairment.

By disorder

• Social anxiety disorder was most common among younger adults: past-year prevalence was 9.1% at ages 18 to 29.
• Panic disorder had the highest share of serious impairment of the four disorders shown, with 44.8% of affected adults seriously impaired.

Anxiety among children and adolescents

Adolescents aged 13 to 18 (NCS-A, 2001 to 2004)

The National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement interviewed 10,123 adolescents face to face. It was nationally representative and ran from February 2001 to January 2004. NIMH reports lifetime prevalence.

Children aged 3 to 17 and teens (CDC)

The CDC’s children’s mental health data page was most recently updated on August 20, 2026. Diagnosed anxiety comes from the National Survey of Children’s Health. Self-reported symptoms come from the teen component of the National Health Interview Survey.

• 11% of children aged 3 to 17 had current, diagnosed anxiety in 2023 to 2024, including 10% of males and 13% of females.
• 20% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported symptoms of anxiety in the past two weeks in 2021 to 2023.

Global figures

The WHO fact sheet Anxiety disorders is dated September 15, 2026. Its prevalence figures draw on the 2023 Global Burden of Disease study. Its treatment figure draws on the World Mental Health Surveys in 21 countries. They are attributed to WHO here.

• In 2023, 470 million people worldwide had an anxiety disorder. WHO describes anxiety disorders as the most common of all mental disorders.
• An estimated 5.8% of the global population currently experience an anxiety disorder.
• About one in four people in need, 27.6%, receive any treatment. WHO states that highly effective treatments exist. Psychological interventions based on cognitive-behavioural therapy have the most evidence.

Self-reported anxiousness (APA Healthy Minds poll, 2024)

The American Psychiatric Association published its annual Healthy Minds poll results on May 1, 2024. The poll of more than 2,200 US adults was conducted April 9 to 11, 2024. It measures how anxious people say they feel, not anxiety disorders.

• The top current-event concerns were the economy, 77%, the 2024 US election, 73%, and gun violence, 69%.

Method

• Data window. Figures date from 2001 to September 2026. Each series uses the latest release that was reachable at the check date. The NCS-R and NCS-A figures are older than the other series. NIMH still publishes them as its national anxiety disorder statistics. Each carries its survey years.
• Primary sources only. Each figure links to the body that published it: CDC NCHS, NIMH, the CDC, the WHO and the APA. NCS-R and NCS-A figures are cited from NIMH’s published summaries. WHO global figures are WHO’s reporting of the Global Burden of Disease study and the World Mental Health Surveys. StatWharf did not use statistics aggregators, advocacy roundups or news articles that re-quote figures.
• Checks. StatWharf Editorial opened each source in November 2026 and checked that the figure and its date appear there. Figures without a reachable primary source were left out.
• No modeling. The page reports published figures only. No value is estimated by StatWharf. Chart bar lengths are scaled to the largest value shown.
• Measures differ. NHIS uses the GAD-7 over the past two weeks. NCS-R reports past-year and lifetime DSM-IV diagnoses from structured interviews. NCS-A reports lifetime diagnoses. The CDC child figure is parent-reported current diagnosis. The APA poll reports self-described feelings. Comparisons are valid within one source, not across sources.
• Safe messaging. The page follows recommendations for reporting on mental health and suicide. It reports no detail on means of self-harm, notes that effective treatment exists, and lists crisis support at the top and bottom.

Using these figures

Symptom screening finds at least mild anxiety symptoms in about one in six US adults. Rates are highest among young adults and women. Diagnostic interviews put past-year anxiety disorder prevalence at about one in five adults. Writers who cite these figures are asked to include the 988 Lifeline. Practices comparing clinical record and billing systems will find the StatWharf comparison of mental health software. Other StatWharf data pages are listed in the research directory. Send corrections to any figure to the editorial address below.

For support for yourself or someone else, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Veterans: call 988 and press 1.

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