Over a billion people living with mental health conditions: report

More than one billion people are affected by mental health disorders, with conditions such as anxiety and depression inflicting severe human and economic costs worldwide, according to new data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In two major reports — World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024 — WHO said that while many countries have strengthened policies and programmes, far greater investment and action are needed globally to expand access to care. 

The findings are expected to help shape national strategies and international discussions ahead of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases and promotion of mental health, due to take place in New York on 25 September 2025.

“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

“Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies – an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every government and every leader has a responsibility to act with urgency and to ensure that mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all.”

Growing toll of mental health disorders

WHO noted that mental health conditions affect people of all ages and income levels, in every country. Anxiety and depression are the most common forms, and women are disproportionately impacted. Mental health disorders are now the second biggest reason for long-term disability, fuelling health costs for families and driving global economic losses.

The reports highlight that suicide remains a “devastating outcome”, with an estimated 727,000 deaths recorded in 2021. It is among the leading causes of death for young people worldwide. Progress in reducing suicide mortality remains insufficient, WHO warned, with current projections showing only a 12% decline by 2030, far short of the UN Sustainable Development Goal of a one-third reduction.

The economic burden is staggering: anxiety and depression alone cost the global economy an estimated US$ 1 trillion each year in lost productivity, in addition to health-care costs.

Services underfunded and uneven

While some countries have made progress, WHO said reform remains slow and investment is stagnating. Median government spending on mental health stands at just 2% of total health budgets — a figure unchanged since 2017. The gap between rich and poor countries is stark: high-income nations spend up to US$ 65 per person on mental health, while low-income nations spend as little as US$ 0.04.

Globally, there are just 13 mental health workers per 100,000 people, with extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries. Community-based care remains limited, with fewer than 10% of countries having fully transitioned from institutional models. Nearly half of psychiatric hospital admissions are involuntary, and more than 20% last over a year.

Integration into primary health care is advancing, with 71% of countries meeting at least three out of five WHO criteria. However, huge gaps remain: in low-income countries, fewer than one in ten people with psychosis receive treatment, compared with more than half in higher-income nations.

Some progress, but more needed

On a more positive note, WHO found that most countries now run mental health promotion programmes, including school-based initiatives, suicide prevention strategies and early childhood development schemes. Over 80% of countries now integrate psychosocial support into emergency responses — more than double the 39% recorded in 2020. Telehealth and outpatient services are also expanding, though access remains uneven.

Despite these advances, WHO warned that countries are “far off track” to meet the targets set in its Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.

The UN agency urged governments and global partners to intensify efforts to transform mental health systems, calling for equitable financing of services, stronger legal and policy frameworks to protect human rights, greater investment in the mental health workforce and expansion of community-based, person-centred care.