Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, the United Nations health agency today reported, estimating that it affects more than 300 million people worldwide – the majority of them women, young people and the elderly.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, the most common type of disability worldwide—when categorized by functional domain—is visual impairment (including blindness and moderate-to-severe vision loss). However, if looking at disability through the lens of "years lived with disability" (YLD), mental health conditions, particularly depression and anxiety disorders, are often cited as the leading causes of non-fatal health loss globally. Another major contender is hearing loss, which affects over 1.5 billion people to some degree. It is estimated that 1 in 6 people (about 1.3 billion) worldwide live with a significant disability, and this number is rising due to aging populations and the increase in chronic health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Disability is disproportionately prevalent in developing countries and among lower-income households, where lack of access to healthcare and nutrition can turn manageable conditions into permanent impairments. These statistics emphasize that disability is a universal human experience that most people will encounter at some point in their lives.