Anxiety disorders

Key facts

• Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental disorders, affecting 301 million people in 2019.
• More women are affected by anxiety disorders than men.
• Symptoms of anxiety often have onset during childhood or adolescence.
• There are highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders.
• Approximately 1 in 4 people with anxiety disorders receive treatment for this condition.

Overview

Everyone can feel anxious sometimes, but people with anxiety disorders often experience fear and worry that is both intense and excessive. These feelings are typically accompanied by physical tension and other behavioural and cognitive symptoms. They are difficult to control, cause significant distress and can last a long time if untreated. Anxiety disorders interfere with daily activities and can impair a person’s family, social and school or working life.

An estimated 4% of the global population currently experience an anxiety disorder (1). In 2019, 301 million people in the world had an anxiety disorder, making anxiety disorders the most common of all mental disorders (1).

Although highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders exist, only about 1 in 4 people in need (27.6%) receive any treatment (2). Barriers to care include lack of awareness that this is a treatable health condition, lack of investment in mental health services, lack of trained health care providers, and social stigma.

Information presented on this page has been replicated from the linked WHO fact sheet. Please always refer to the original source on who.int for the latest version. Last update: March 2024