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Stress statistics 2026: How common is stress, and who’s most affected?

Everyone experiences stress to some degree, but it is important to address it before it becomes chronic
By | Updated on Feb. 17, 2026 Medically reviewed by Scott Dershowitz, LMSW, CMC & Karen Berger, Pharm.D.
Tablet with charts and graphs: Stress statistics and trends

Key takeaways

  • Stress is a natural bodily function, but too much stress can contribute to various medical and mental health conditions. 

  • About 78% of U.S. adults reported losing sleep at night because of financial worries.

  • Job stress costs the U.S. over $300 billion yearly in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal, and insurance costs.

In this article:

Despite our best efforts, stress is often a part of life that many people have simply learned to tolerate. And while it’s incredibly prevalent in the U.S., understanding the causes of stress can make it much less intimidating and offer insights as to the best way to treat it. These stress statistics offer some insight into its consequences on our health and the importance of stress prevention and treatment. 

What is stress?

Stress isn’t technically a disease, although it can have lasting effects on an individual’s mental health. Instead, it’s a response. The American Institute of Stress defines stress as the body’s nonspecific response to any demand, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. Frequently, the source of stress is rooted in change, like a big move, a new job, or a wedding. But it can also stem from a person’s surroundings, like an aggressive boss or a tense conversation. 

When the body faces a perceived threat, stress levels rise, and hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are released to increase alertness, tense muscles, and heighten blood pressure. This is the evolutionary “fight or flight” response that results from acute stress. In short bursts, stress can actually help someone with thinking, alertness, and focus. But when stress becomes chronic, it can lead to physical discomforts like headaches, prolonged muscle tension, sleep issues, and indigestion. 

How many people suffer from stress?

Stress is extremely common and even normal, but it’s on the rise. Take a look: 

Stress statistics in America

  • About 23% of American adults say they experienced a mental health condition in the past year. (Mental Health America, 2025)
  • In 2024, 43% of adults reported feeling more anxious than they did the previous year. (American Psychiatric Association, 2024)
  • In the Gallup worldwide poll, 48% of U.S. adults said they felt “a lot” of stress the day before the survey. This makes the U.S. the 30th most-stressed nation out of 144. (Gallup: Global Emotions, 2025)
  • In some states, as many as 40% of people who experience poor mental health (including stress) for 14 or more days each month can’t afford care. (Mental Health America, 2025)

Stress statistics worldwide

  • As of August 2025, 31% of adults surveyed worldwide thought stress was the biggest health problem in their country. (Ipsos, 2024)
  • In a survey of more than 145,000 people in 144 countries, 39% of adults said they worried on a daily basis, and 37% said they felt stressed on a daily basis. These were the most common negative emotions reported. (Gallup: State of the World’s Emotional Health, 2025)
  • Worldwide stress and worry have increased by 8–9 percentage points over the last 20 years. (Gallup: State of the World’s Emotional Health, 2025)
  • Approximately 4.4% of the world population, or about 365 million people, have an anxiety disorder. (World Health Organization (WHO): Anxiety Disorders, 2025)
  • The most stressed nations, based on the percentage of the population who reported experiencing stress “a lot” the day prior to the survey, include the following. (Gallup: Global Emotions, 2025)
    • Rwanda (64%)
    • Sierra Leone (64%)
    • Cyprus (60%)
    • Egypt (58%)
    • Greece (57%)
    • Iraq (57%)
    • Northern Cyprus (57%)
    • Turkey (57%)
    • Chad (56%)
    • Lebanon (56%)

Stress statistics by cause

Some of the top causes of stress in America include work, finances, and relationships.

  • Sixty-nine percent of employed adults in the U.S. said they felt work was a significant source of stress. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • Money is a significant source of stress for two-thirds of Americans. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • Housing costs worry 65% of U.S. adults. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • Relationships were least likely to be named as a significant source of stress, but nearly half of Americans do feel high levels of stress from their relationships. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)

Many people also feel stressed by the current state of affairs in America. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)

  • The future of the nation (reported by 76% of U.S. adults)
  • The economy (75%) 
  • The spread of misinformation (69%)
  • U.S. politics (65%)
  • Mass shootings (65%)
  • Societal divisiveness in the nation (62%)
  • The rise of artificial intelligence (57%)

Notably, stress about the economy has skyrocketed. In 2008, 69% of the population felt stressed about the economy. That percentage saw a downward trend over the next decade, reaching 46% in 2019. Now, Americans’ economic concerns are the highest they’ve been over the last 17 years, with 75% naming it a significant source of stress. 

A recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association revealed additional sources of worry among Americans:

  • Keeping self or family safe (62%)
  • Health (59%)
  • Identity theft (57%)
  • Climate change (53%)
  • Emerging technology (44%)
  • Opioid epidemic (42%)

In addition, a 2021 SingleCare survey found that stress at home caused anxiety in 48% of respondents.

Stress in the workplace statistics

  • Job insecurity worries up to 75% of Americans, but it becomes less stressful with age. (American Psychological Association: Majority of U.S. Workers, 2025)
  • People who worry about losing their jobs over the next year are more likely to say their relationships and sleep quality have suffered due to work stress. (American Psychological Association: Majority of U.S. Workers, 2025
  • Most Americans experience workforce burnout around the age of 42, with finances and work itself being some of the most common sources of stress. (Talker Research, 2025)
  • About 56% of employees say workplace stress affects their job performance. (Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), 2025)
  • People are most likely to name deadlines as their top work-related stressor (55%), followed by interpersonal relationships (53%), staff management (50%), and dealing with problems (49%). (ADAA, 2025)
  • Only 40% of workers have admitted to their employer that stress is interfering with their job. Of those who did talk to their employer, 60% received no help. (ADAA, 2025)
  • People are more likely to name work as a source of stress than as a source of purpose. (American Psychological Association, 2025)
  • Workplace stress seems to increase as salary increases, jumping from 22% among those who make less than $25,000 annually to 57% among those with an annual income of $200,000–$500,000. (SingleCare, 2021)

Stress statistics by age

  • Americans feel so stressed about the future of the country that 63% of those aged 18–34 have considered relocating to another country. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025) 
  • Twenty-seven percent of Americans aged 18–34 rated their stress at least an 8 out of 10, which is the highest percentage of any age group. (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • People aged 18–34 are also most likely to worry about artificial intelligence (65%). (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • The most common stressors vary with age, with debt, cost of living, climate anxiety, and job insecurity affecting people aged 18–26. (The American Institute of Stress, 2025)
  • People aged 27–42 tend to stress about work-life balance, the cost of child care, and the cost of housing, and they’re more likely to experience burnout. (The American Institute of Stress, 2025)
  • Gen X (people aged 43–58) commonly worry about their health and retirement while trying to balance caring for their children and parents. (The American Institute of Stress, 2025)
  • People 59 and older tend to worry about the cost of healthcare and the cost of living on a fixed income, but they tend to report slightly less stress overall. (The American Institute of Stress, 2025)
  • People aged 30 to 49 report the highest levels of stress and the lowest sleep quality. (Gallup: State of the World’s Emotional Health, 2025)
  • Stress among 15- to 49-year-olds peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since declined to post-pandemic levels, while stress among people 50+ has continued to climb. (Gallup: State of the World’s Emotional Health, 2025)
  • Seventy-five percent of people aged 18 to 25 named job insecurity as a significant source of stress. This percentage decreases with age, and just 26% of people 65 and older agree that job insecurity is a significant source of stress. (American Psychological Association: Majority of U.S. Workers, 2025)

Teen stress statistics

According to the National Institute on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% of teens ages 12–17 reported feeling the world is more stressful now than when their parents were their age. Additionally, about 1 in 6 report experiencing negative emotions all the time or often. This was more common among teenage girls. 

According to the WHO, factors that can contribute to teen stress include the following:

  • Exposure to adversity
  • Pressure to conform to peers
  • Exploration of identity
  • Social media influence
  • Quality of their home life
  • Relationships with peers
  • Violence (especially sexual violence and bullying)
  • Harsh parenting
  • Socioeconomic problems 

Consuming news content is also stressful to teens, with 60% of the global Gen Z population feeling overwhelmed by current news and events. UNICEF reports that feelings of overwhelm are linked to lower well-being scores, which in turn are linked to a decreased sense of empowerment. Girls are more likely than boys to feel overwhelmed by news or events.

Getting help isn’t always easy for teens. In the U.S., Mental Health America reports that more than 1 million teens aged 12 to 17 have private health insurance that doesn’t cover mental health care. Worldwide, UNICEF says about half of teens know where to find resources to support their mental health. 

Caregiver stress statistics

AARP defines family caregivers as “adults providing ongoing care to adults or children with complex medical conditions or disabilities” who have “a pre-existing relationship with the care recipient they support, such as a family member, friend, or neighbor.” The following caregiver stress statistics are from a 2025 AARP report called Caregiving in the U.S.:

  • The U.S. is home to about 63 million family caregivers, and 64% say they experience high levels of emotional stress. 
  • Fifty-six percent say they had no choice but to become a family caregiver, and these individuals are significantly more likely to experience more emotional stress, a lower sense of purpose, and more physical strain. 
  • Nearly one in four family caregivers feels alone. 
  • Around 30% of family caregivers say they need more training or information about managing emotional and physical stress.

Stress statistics by sex

Stress isn’t just different across age groups but by sex as well, and women are more likely to experience higher levels.

  • Around 36% of women say they experience stress compared to nearly 34% of men. (Journal of Affective Disorders, 2025)
  • Women (22%) are more likely to rate their workplace stress as at least an 8 out of 10 compared to men (18%). (American Psychological Association: Stress in America 2025)
  • Women are more likely to deal with their stress by eating (46%) or talking to family and friends (44%) compared to men. (ADAA, 2025)
  • Men are more likely to deal with their stress by having sex (19%) and using illicit drugs (12%) compared to women. (ADAA, 2025)
  • Men (83%) are more likely to say workplace stress affects their personal life compared to women (72%). (ADAA, 2025)
  • Women surveyed placed their stress levels at an average of 5.3 out of 10, while men reported an average of 4.8 out of 10. (American Psychological Association, 2023)
  • Women are more likely than men to report stress about money, family responsibilities, and relationships. (American Psychological Association, 2023)

Stress and overall health

Stress may, at times, feel like an annoyance that comes and goes with certain events. But it can leave an immediate and prolonged impression on a person’s mental and physical well-being. The short-term physical symptoms of stress include headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, elevated heart rate, upset stomach, and trouble sleeping. Emotional symptoms of stress include irritability, restlessness, and lack of focus. In the long run, consistently high levels of stress can cause problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, gastrointestinal problems, sexual dysfunction, and weight gain. Prolonged stress has even been linked to heart disease. 

Here are some more statistics that illustrate the effect of stress on overall health:

  • People with work-related chronic stress have a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What’s more, long-term stress is associated with diabetes and obesity, which significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022)
  • Workplace stress contributes to more than 120,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. (Management Science, 2015)
  • Stressing about losing your job can increase the risk of illness, and one study found that job insecurity caused an 89% increased risk of heart attack among female nurses. (Management Science, 2015)
  • Seventy-six percent of adults reported that stress impacted their health, with symptoms that included headache, tiredness, nervousness, anxiety, and depression or sadness. (American Psychological Association, 2022)
  • About 78% of Americans reported losing sleep at night due to financial worries, and 65% can’t sleep due to work-related stress. (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2025)

The cost of stress

  • It’s estimated that job stress costs U.S. employers more than $300 billion a year in absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity, and medical, legal, and insurance costs. More than half of that expense is due to decreased productivity. (The American Institute of Stress, 2024)
  • Depression and anxiety cost the global economy approximately $1 trillion each year in lost productivity. (WHO, 2024)
  • Investing in mental health treatment has a fantastic return on investment, with every $1 spent resulting in approximately $4 gained through improved productivity. (The American Institute of Stress, 2024)
  • One in three Americans believes the cost of mental healthcare is the biggest barrier to treatment. (SingleCare, 2024)
  • Of those who receive mental health treatment, 35% say they’ve skipped medications to save money, and 43% have skipped appointments for the same reason. (SingleCare, 2024)

Stress prevention

The day-to-day health issues and costs of stress have prompted Americans to look for ways to preemptively head it off. It’s not always possible to prevent stress, but there are some ways to stop it before it starts. Many of these techniques stem from a mindset shift. “Sometimes stress can be caused by negative self-talk, a pessimistic outlook, perfectionism, or inability to accept change,” says Brian Wind, Ph.D., a Nashville-based clinical psychologist. Learning how to curb these unhealthy thought patterns can improve one’s ability to deal with stressful situations, resulting in less stress overall. 

Identifying significant stressors can also help a person handle them when they arise or avoid them entirely (if possible). “Stress can be caused by external events such as difficulties in personal relationships, financial difficulties, or work,” Dr. Wind says. And while these aren’t always avoidable, they’re things that a person can mentally prepare for. “Maintaining positive life habits like a healthy diet, adequate sleep schedule, and fulfilling social friendships can help improve resilience and improve relationships,” he adds. 

Since work is a top stressor around the world, a healthy work-life balance is an essential piece in the puzzle as well. Many companies are recognizing the detrimental impact of stress on their employees (and finances), and in response, they’re implementing stress management training and initiatives that encourage a well-balanced work experience. 

Treating stress

Of course, stress is just a part of life. Everyone experiences it at some point or another. But the way it’s managed can either mitigate or exacerbate it. For example, excessive alcohol consumption, overeating, smoking, and overspending might seem beneficial at the moment, but can be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health in the long run. 

When it comes to positive stress management techniques, “It’s important to maintain healthy coping strategies such as yoga, meditation, journaling, or hobbies,” Dr. Wind says. “Make time for yourself even if you feel you don’t ‘deserve’ it. Going for a walk in nature and exercising are also great ways to relieve stress.”

Some studies have shown that mindfulness meditation may improve anxiety and depression. Others have shown that yoga can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and more. A recent study also found that spending at least 10 minutes outdoors can help reduce the mental and physical effects of stress. Other potentially beneficial activities include listening to music, playing with a pet, laughing, and spending time with friends. 

Medications for treating stress

In certain cases, someone might look to medications and supplements instead. Healthcare providers won’t typically prescribe medication for mild, temporary stress. But severe, chronic stress and anxiety might warrant a prescription drug like an SSRI antidepressant, such as Prozac (fluoxetine), or a benzodiazepine, such as Xanax (alprazolam).

Stress management statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that more than 20% of U.S. adults received some sort of mental health treatment each year. According to the CDC, more than 16% took medication, and 10% received counseling or therapy. A recent SingleCare survey indicates a higher treatment rate of 32%.

People aged 45 to 64 are more likely to take medication for mental health. Around 21% of women take medication compared to 11.5% of men. 

Supplements for treating stress

Dietary supplements aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating stress or anxiety, but a healthcare provider may recommend them. Although they’re available over the counter, herbs, vitamins, and minerals can cause dangerous interactions with other medications. Always check with a healthcare provider to make sure a supplement is safe for you.

Supplements for supporting mental health may include:

  • Ashwagandha
  • Lemon balm
  • Rhodiola rosea
  • Valerian
  • Saffron
  • Lavender
  • Purple passionflower
  • St. John’s wort

The efficacy of treating stress with dietary supplements is up for debate. They may help relieve mild stress, but it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider if you experience persistent symptoms. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as prescription and OTC drugs are, and are not proven to be as effective as prescription medications for mental health. Some, like St. John’s wort, have significant interactions with certain medications.

Frequently asked questions and answers about stress

How many people are stressed?

Around 75% of U.S. adults are stressed, which equals about 200 million people. 

Who is affected by stress the most?

Women and people under the age of 45 are most likely to be affected by stress. 

What percentage of high schoolers are stressed? What percentage of college students are stressed?

High school students report high levels of stress, with 75% of students saying they consistently feel stressed because of schoolwork. In the U.S., 45% of college students report experiencing more than average stress. Only 9% of students report no stress or less than average stress. 

RELATED: How to ease back-to-school anxiety and stress

How many deaths are caused by workplace stress?

Approximately 120,000 deaths per year in America are associated with workplace stress.

What is the most common type of physical stress?

Short-term stress, also called acute stress, is the most common type of physical stress. Acute stress happens when we experience a sudden but temporary increase in “fight or flight” hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, such as when we are surprised by a barking dog. 

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