a rather worrying record in Europe

Would France be the champion of depression? In a European study published by the DREES (Directorate of Research, Evaluation, Studies and Statistics) on January 9, 2025, in which France participated alongside 29 European countries, approximately 6% of Europeans suffered from depressive syndrome in 2019with significant disparities between countries and age groups*.

In Western and Northern Europe, the prevalence of depression is particularly high, reaching 11% in Franceeither the highest rate of the continent, while it is significantly lower in Southern and Eastern Europe, with only 2% in Serbia and Cyprus. Whatever the country studied, women have higher rates of depressive syndrome than men.

Significant regional and generational disparities

This new study explores variations in risk factors for depressive syndrome depending on age and region of residence. Because the effect of age differs depending on the region Europe: in Southern and Eastern Europe, the prevalence of depressive syndrome is very low among 15-24 year olds, then increases gradually with age, reaching its highest level after 70 years.

Conversely, in Northern Europe, depressive syndrome is most common among those aged 15-24, then decreases as age increases, up to 70 years.

In Western Europe, the prevalence of depressive syndrome is high for all age groups, with a peak between 45 and 59 years oldbefore decreasing slightly around ages 60-69 – which approximately coincides with the retirement age – until age 70, where it rises slightly again.

Seniors are more depressed in Eastern and Southern Europe

In the two age groups specifically studied – 15-24 year olds and 70 year olds or over – the study highlights the protective role of good health and strong support from those around them on the prevalence of depression, both for the elderly and for the young.

But depression is also influenced by factors specific to age. Rates of depression are particularly high among people aged 70 or over in southern and eastern European countries (12%).

However, they vary within the same region: they exceed 10% in Italy, Malta, Estonia, Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary, and even reach more than 15% in Portugal, Romania and Croatia. Greece and Serbia stand out with very low rates of depression among seniors, around 5%.

Globally, older women are much more affected by depressive syndromes than men.

In Western Europe, depression is common among older people (13%), varying from 16% in France to only 5% in Ireland and Luxembourg (7% in Germany). Generally speaking, France has a depression rate among the highest in European countries for seniors and young peopleas for the entire population.

Income has a limited effect on the prevalence of depression among seniors, except in southern European countries; seniors with the lowest incomes are often those suffering from poor healthincreased social isolation, and having a greater probability of being widowed.

Among young people, more depression in Northern and Western Europe

Young people in Scandinavian countries present depressive syndromes more often than those in southern and eastern Europe. In this region, 14% of young people are affected. Western European countries follow, with an average of 9%.

Among young people, theinactivity plays a major role, but only in Western and Northern European countries. Income also plays a role in the risk of depression, but mainly in Northern Europe. Finally, for young people, as for older people, being in poor health significantly increases the risk of depression.

The study highlights that theisolement social appears to be a significant factor in depression among young people: the countries which display the highest rates of depression among young people are also those where they leave the parental home the earliest. In Northern Europe, in 2023, young people generally leave around the age of 20, compared to 26 years on average in the European Union and 30 years in the South and East (24 years on average in France).

*European Health Interview Survey, of 300,000 people, including more than 14,000 in France.

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