In 2022, Poland, Greece, and Cyprus had the highest percentage of adults in the EU at risk of depression, with a share of ** percent. Across the entire EU27, the rate of adults at risk of depression was ** percent in 2022.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated depression symptoms among young people, as the occurrence of depression symptoms roughly doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels in several European countries. Nordic nations such as Norway, Sweden, and Iceland saw the highest rates of young individuals with depression symptoms during the pandemic, reaching ****, ****, and ** percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Austria was at the top of the list for the share of all adults with depression symptoms in 2020-21, at **** percent.
Variations across age groups and countries
In spring 2021, ** percent of adults aged 18 to 34 in Europe were at risk for depression, a significant increase from ** percent in spring 2020 and this rise was observed across all age groups. Additionally, countries like Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy reported over half of their populations experiencing stress in 2022, with close to a fifth suffering from depression.
If the people surveyed had a WHO-5 score of less than 50, on a scale from 0-100, they were defined as in risk of depression.
The WHO-5 Well-being Index is a questionnaire to calculate the personal well-being.
This survey worked mainly on the EU27 Member States.
The survey was organized and divided in 5 rounds:
Round 1: 9 April – 11 June 2020
Round 2: 22 June – 27 July 2020
Round 3: 12 February – 31 March 2021
Round 4: 21 October – 30 November 2021 (panel survey)
Round 5: 29 March – 2 May 2022
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
OECD. (December 5, 2022). Percentage of adults at risk of depression in the EU in spring 2022, by country [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 24, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/
OECD. "Percentage of adults at risk of depression in the EU in spring 2022, by country." Chart. December 5, 2022. Statista. Accessed July 24, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/
OECD. (2022). Percentage of adults at risk of depression in the EU in spring 2022, by country. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 24, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/
OECD. "Percentage of Adults at Risk of Depression in The Eu in Spring 2022, by Country." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Dec 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/
OECD, Percentage of adults at risk of depression in the EU in spring 2022, by country Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/ (last visited July 24, 2025)
Percentage of adults at risk of depression in the EU in spring 2022, by country [Graph], OECD, December 5, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448780/share-of-adults-at-risk-of-depression-in-the-eu-by-country/
