Anxiety Statistics
U.S. prevalence of anxiety disorders by type, sex, age, and the conditions that travel with them. Citations on every number.
View data →STATISTICS
Anxiety statistics in the United States
Updated 2026-05-18 · National and state-level data
This dashboard tracks national and state-level data on anxiety disorders, treatment utilization, and population distress. We update figures as primary sources release new survey waves.
National prevalence
19.1%
U.S. adults with any anxiety disorder in the past year
NIMH
31.1%
U.S. adults with any anxiety disorder at some point in their lives
NIMH
22.8%
Of adults with any anxiety disorder, share with serious impairment
NIMH
27.2%
U.S. adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder
CDC
National Institute of Mental Health, Any Anxiety Disorder (NCS-R)
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorderDate accessed: 2026-05-18
CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Household Pulse Survey
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htmDate accessed: 2026-05-18
Methodology note
The percentages cited above come from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, conducted in 2001 to 2003 and published in 2005. NCS-R remains the canonical U.S. anchor for past-year and lifetime anxiety disorder rates because no later U.S. survey has replicated its full diagnostic interview. More recent surveys, such as the CDC Household Pulse Survey and the SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, measure recent symptoms or self-reported diagnoses using different instruments and produce different anchor numbers. NCS-R figures should be read as the best available disorder-level estimate, with the caveat that the data aren't current-year.
Source: Kessler et al., Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005. PMID: 15939837.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15939837/Date accessed: 2026-05-18
Methodology note
The CDC Household Pulse Survey measures self-reported recent symptoms using short screening instruments. Symptom-level rates from Pulse run higher than disorder-level rates from a full diagnostic interview such as NCS-R. The two are best read as different measures, not competing estimates of the same quantity.
Source: CDC NCHS Household Pulse Survey, Mental Health.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htmDate accessed: 2026-05-18
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Anxiety diagnosis rates
9.1%
Specific phobia (past-year)
NIMH
7.1%
Social anxiety disorder (past-year)
NIMH
3.6%
PTSD (past-year)
NIMH
2.7%
GAD (past-year)
NIMH
2.7%
Panic disorder (past-year)
NIMH
National Institute of Mental Health, Any Anxiety Disorder
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorderDate accessed: 2026-05-18
Methodology note: Rates reflect past-year prevalence among U.S. adults.
Treatment utilization
Most adults who meet criteria for an anxiety disorder don't receive care. Of those who do, only a fraction receive care meeting survey definitions for minimal adequacy.
36.9%
Adults with any anxiety disorder who received any treatment past year
NCS-R
33.9%
Of treated adults, share who received minimally adequate care
NCS-R
Received care Adequate care Did not receive / less than adequate
Kessler et al., National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), 2005
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15939837/Date accessed: 2026-05-18
Methodology note: "Minimally adequate" is an operational definition requiring a threshold number of therapy visits or medication duration.
Explore the data in depth
Each subpage walks through the underlying datasets source by source, names the limits honestly, and gives you a clean citation block to paste into copy.
Panic Statistics
U.S. data on panic disorder prevalence, panic attacks, emergency-room presentations, and treatment. Citations on every number.
View data →OCD Statistics
U.S. data on obsessive-compulsive disorder prevalence, age of onset, severity, and treatment response. Citations on every number.
View data →Treatment Statistics
U.S. data on who gets anxiety treatment, what kind, and how well it works. Citations on every number.
View data →Medication Statistics
U.S. data on antidepressant and benzodiazepine use, effect sizes, and discontinuation. Citations on every number.
View data →Anxiety by State
State-level data on mental distress, workforce, and access to anxiety care. Citations on every number.
View data →State data dashboard
State-by-state data show significant geographic variation in adult frequent mental distress.
Interactive state map
View interactive map and data for all 50 states and DC.
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CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/Date accessed: 2026-05-18
Methodology note: BRFSS is a continuous telephone survey of adults regarding health-related risk behaviors.
How to read anxiety statistics
Data provide a population-level snapshot, not an individual diagnosis. When reading these figures, note whether the survey tracks self-reported symptoms or clinical diagnoses, and remember that statistical significance doesn't always mean clinical impact.