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Bipolar disorder statistics 2025

46 million people around the world, including 2.8% of the U.S. population, have bipolar disorder. See more bipolar statistics here.
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By | Updated on Feb. 4, 2025 Medically reviewed by Marissa Walsh, Pharm.D., BCPS-AQ ID
Map of America with charts and graphs: Bipolar disorder statistics

Key takeaways

  • Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that impacts nearly 50 million individuals around the globe.

  • Most are diagnosed in their early adult period, with prevalence highest in those in their 3rd decade of life.

  • Males and females are relatively equally afflicted, but symptomatology differs.

  • Those with bipolar disorder may experience a shortened life-span from the illness itself or its association with other medical problems.

  • Therapeutic options can be successful in controlling the illness and combining mental health services with medication.

In this article:

Bipolar disorder is a confusing mental health condition not only for the individual affected but also for their family members and loved ones. Defined as a mental illness with a manic-depressive pattern, those with the disorder can experience “highs” that last days, followed by major depressive episodes that can last weeks. If you’ve been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you’re not alone. These statistics reveal the prevalence of the mental health disorder, how it affects one’s overall health, and the success rate of treatment. 

What is bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a mood disorder that causes radical shifts in mood, energy, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. People with bipolar disorder experience periods of intense emotions and changes in behavior called “mood episodes,” which can last days to weeks. Bipolar disorder can be difficult to diagnose since some symptoms are like other mental health conditions, like schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. 

Depressive episodes have symptoms of a depressive disorder, causing a person to feel a strong sense of sadness with low energy and motivation. Manic episodes are the opposite—one can feel energetic, optimistic, and even euphoric—which can lead to irrational, impulsive decision-making. Patients can also experience visualizations. The type and intensity of symptoms of bipolar disorder vary from person to person. Given the variation in the bipolar experience, it is challenging to make an accurate diagnosis. 

The three primary types of bipolar disorders are bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic (or rapid cycling) disorder. Anna Hindell, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist based in New York, explains the difference between each type of bipolar disorder.

  • Bipolar I: Characterized by episodes of mania that last at least seven days and may require hospitalization. Depressive episodes that follow can last up to two weeks. If these symptoms happen simultaneously, it’s called a mixed episode.
  • Bipolar II: Defined by a pattern of depressive and hypomanic episodes. Hypomania is a mood elevation that increases energy, agitation, and pressured speech. The mania is not as intense as bipolar 1, but the depressive episodes are severe and may last longer.
  • Cyclothymic disorder: More frequent shifts between mood swings, which is called rapid cycling. The highs are consistent with hypomania symptoms, and the lows are mild to moderate depression. “With cyclothymia, the ups and downs are more frequent, and these swings can last for a longer period of time, diagnostically two years,” says Hindell.

“When they are in the manic stage, being around them can be rather exhausting,” says David Ezell, LMHC, the CEO and founder of Darien Wellness. “They tend to have endless energy, set a vast number of goals, and have beliefs about themselves that aren’t true or are even impossible for humans to achieve.”

“Conversely, when they are experiencing the depressive side of their mood, they essentially become the opposite with regard to mood. They don’t want to do anything, they tend to disengage from people and become fairly lifeless. As a result, people withdraw from them,” says Ezell.

How common is bipolar disorder?

  • Globally, 46 million people around the world have bipolar disorder. (Our World in Data, 2018)
  • One survey of 11 countries found the lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder was 2.4%. The U.S. had a 1% prevalence of bipolar type I, which was noted to be higher than many other countries in this survey. (Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2018) 
  • The phrase severe mental illness (SMI) is often applied to those diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, of all mental health conditions, as these diagnoses are often so debilitating that individuals’ ability to engage in functional and occupational activities is impaired (Public Health England, 2018)

Bipolar disorder statistics by age

  • The average age of onset is 25 years old. (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2017)
  • People ages 25 to 29 years old had the highest rates of bipolar disorder (0.7%) (IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data)
  • People 70 and older had the lowest rates of bipolar disorder (0.45%) (IHME, Global Burden of Disease (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data)
  • Adolescents experience a low prevalence of bipolar disorder, which in part may have to do with the diagnostic complexity, which requires consideration of developmental factors and symptom overlap with other mental health disorders (Child and Adolescent Mental Health)

Bipolar disorder statistics by sex

  • Worldwide, approximately 48% of people with bipolar disorder are male and 52% are female (International Bipolar Foundation)
  • The past-year prevalence of bipolar disorder is similar in females and males (2.8% and 2.9%, respectively). (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017)
  • Bipolar I is seen more often in men than women, while Bipolar II is seen more often in women than in men (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2019)
  • Men tend to experience their first bipolar disorder episode at a younger age than women (The American Journal of Psychiatry, 2005)
  • Men are more likely to present with mania than women, and women are more likely to present with depression (Women’s Health, 2011)
  • Women are more likely to have rapid cycling and seasonal episodes, as well as other concomitant mental health conditions—like panic disorders and eating disorders (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2019)
  • Men are reported to have more conduct and substance use disorders than women (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2019)
  • Men and women appear to experience similar rates of delusions and hallucinations (British Journal of Pharmacology, 2019)

Bipolar disorder and overall health

  • On average, bipolar disorder results in a 9.2-year reduction in expected life span (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017).
  • There is an increased risk of suicide in people with bipolar disorder, with 15% to 17% committing suicide. (Treatment Advocacy Center)
  • Individuals with bipolar I disorder have a significantly increased lifetime risk of a concomitant substance abuse disorder (SUD) diagnosis (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2018)
  • Of those with bipolar disorder, many report co-occurring medical conditions, which are most commonly migraine, asthma, and high cholesterol. Heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and osteoarthritis were also identified as high probability co-occurring health problems. (The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2014)

Treating bipolar disorder 

Unfortunately, bipolar disorder is left untreated in half of the diagnosed individuals in any given year, and this is a leading cause of disability in those patients. Although there is no cure, Ezell says that the optimal treatment plan for bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and mental health services like cognitive-behavioral therapy. There are many effective treatment options, often combined with lifestyle changes and even support groups. 

“The medication allows the client to experience a more stable mood and see things more clearly,” says Ezell. “When they are able to have a more stable emotional experience, they are more open to starting and sticking with therapy. The therapy helps them understand their thoughts and begin to differentiate between accurate thoughts as opposed to thoughts that are generated by their condition.”

“Once treated with medication, usually mood stabilizers, and perhaps an anti-depression

for bipolar type 2, people can be high functioning in the world,” says Hindell. “Many people with a bipolar diagnosis hold regular jobs, are parents, are successful, and live normal lives.

That being said, medication is usually needed to control the mood dysregulation.

Psychotherapy is needed to help gain insights into one’s patterns and moods, gaining

awareness of when one becomes symptomatic.” Atypical antipsychotics may also be offered for bipolar disorder treatment, and patients must be advised on common side effects that may impair physical conditions, such as weight gain.