Global Increase in Stress & Worry

Worry, stress and anger have increased worldwide over the past 10 years, according to an international report published on Monday, dpa reported.

The survey was conducted by the Gallup Institute among people aged 15 and older in 144 countries and regions.

Last year, 39% of adults worldwide reported having had many worries the previous day, while 37% reported stress. This included a particularly high number of people in countries affected by conflict.

Although worries worldwide in 2024 decreased slightly on average, returning to pre-pandemic levels, they remain 5 percentage points higher than in 2014.

Physical pain (32%) increased by two percentage points compared to the previous year. Sadness (26%) and anger (22%) showed no change year-on-year. However, all values for negative feelings are higher than they were a decade ago.

Globally, women reported more sadness, worry and physical pain than men.
Nevertheless, despite the stresses reported, positive feelings remained widespread, the study concluded.

Source(s): dpa, Gallup