The numbers behind global mental health and its different disorders
Key takeaways
- Nearly one in eight people in the world lives with a mental disorder, and one person dies by suicide every 43 seconds.
- More than one billion people – roughly one in eight people globally – are currently living with a mental health condition, according to the WHO.
- Of those affected, young people are among the hardest hit, while men face higher rates of suicide and women are experiencing disproportionately higher rates of anxiety and depression.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Nearly one in eight people in the world lives with a mental disorder, and one person dies by suicide every 43 seconds.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo According to the WHO, one in eight people lives with a mental health condition [Samuel Boivin/Nur Photo via Getty Images]By Hanna Duggal Published On 21 May 202621 May 2026The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening in Geneva, Switzerland this week for the 79th World Health Assembly, where mental health is among the more than 75 agenda items that will be discussed.
More than one billion people – roughly one in eight people globally – are currently living with a mental health condition, according to the WHO. And that number is rising.