Anxiety Statistics in the U.S.
A clear, source-linked reference to anxiety prevalence, symptoms, impairment, and complementary health trends. Each figure includes the data period so it can be read in the right context.
Last updated: October 5, 2026
The numbers behind a very human experience.
Anxiety can look different from person to person. These figures describe population-level research, not any one person's health or outcome. For individual concerns, appropriate medical or mental-health care should always come first.
For people looking for a calm, personalized conversation about patterns such as worry, avoidance, or confidence, read about online hypnosis and coaching for anxiety.
19.1%
of U.S. adults had an anxiety disorder in the prior year
This estimate comes from NIMH's National Comorbidity Survey Replication, conducted from 2001 to 2003.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200331.1%
of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime
The figure covers the anxiety conditions included in the NIMH analysis, using the same 2001 to 2003 national survey.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200322.8%
of affected adults had serious impairment
Among adults with an anxiety disorder in the prior year, NIMH classified impairment using the Sheehan Disability Scale.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200333.7%
of affected adults had moderate impairment
This reflects the portion of adults with an anxiety disorder whose symptoms had a moderate impact on daily roles and relationships.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200343.5%
of affected adults had mild impairment
The largest share in the NIMH breakdown reported mild impairment, showing why personal needs and support options can vary widely.
Source: NIMH, 2001-20039,282
adults took part in the national survey
The face-to-face survey included English-speaking, noninstitutionalized civilian adults. Anxiety was assessed in a 5,692-adult subsample.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200331.9%
of U.S. adolescents had an anxiety disorder during their lifetime
NIMH reports this estimate for ages 13 to 18, based on the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement conducted from 2001 to 2004.
Source: NIMH, 2001-20048.3%
of U.S. adolescents had severe impairment
This is the NIMH estimate among adolescents with any anxiety disorder in the same nationally representative survey.
Source: NIMH, 2001-200420 years
of growth in complementary health use tracked by federal survey data
NCCIH reports that U.S. adult use of complementary health approaches increased from 2002 to 2022, with yoga, meditation, and massage therapy showing the largest growth.
Source: NCCIH, 2002-202212.2%
of U.S. adults regularly reported feelings of anxiety in 2024
CDC’s latest annual estimate covers adults who regularly reported feelings of worry, nervousness, and anxiety. It is a measure of feelings, not a clinical diagnosis.
Source: CDC, 202418.5%
of U.S. adults had ever been told they had an anxiety disorder in 2024
CDC reports this as an ever-diagnosed measure, meaning a doctor or other health professional had told the adult they had any type of anxiety disorder.
Source: CDC, 202419.7%
of U.S. youth reported anxiety symptoms in 2021 to 2023
CDC’s latest youth estimate reflects reported anxiety symptoms, not a diagnosis, and uses data collected from 2021 through 2023.
Source: CDC, 2021-2023How to use these figures.
This page brings together published figures from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. It preserves the original data dates, study populations, and scope instead of presenting older estimates as current diagnoses.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Any Anxiety Disorder: adult data from 2001 to 2003, and adolescent data from 2001 to 2004.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Health Interview Survey 2022: federal trend summary covering 2002 to 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health Conditions & Care: latest adult measures from 2024 and youth symptom data from 2021 to 2023.
Suggested citation: Ikigai Hypnosis and Coaching. “Anxiety Statistics in the U.S.” Updated October 5, 2026. https://ikigaihypnosiscoaching.com/hypnosis-research-statistics