U.S. Depression Rates Hit Record Highs, Affecting Nearly 48 Million

Depression affects 18.3% of U.S. adults in 2025, representing an estimated 47.8 million Americans, according to new Gallup polling. The rate has climbed eight percentage points since 2015, with most increases occurring after COVID-19 began in 2020. Young adults face the steepest rise, with depression doubling from 13.0% in 2017 to 26.7% currently among those under 30. Lower-income households earning under $24,000 annually show depression rates jumping from 22.1% in 2017 to 35.1% now. Loneliness also increased to 21%, up from pandemic lows of 17-18% in recent years. Nearly three-in-ten young adults experience significant daily loneliness. Gallup estimates depression costs $23 billion annually in lost worker productivity from absenteeism alone. (Story URL)