Anorexia Rates by Country 2026

Countries With the Highest Anorexia Prevalence Rates

Rates of anorexia vary widely across countries. When measured per 100,000 people, the highest prevalence rates tend to appear in high-income nations with well-developed healthcare systems and mental health reporting infrastructure.

In 2023, Australia recorded the highest anorexia prevalence rate at 163 cases per 100,000 people. Several European countries followed closely, including Luxembourg, Ireland, Finland, and Switzerland, all of which reported rates above 115 per 100,000.

These higher rates do not necessarily indicate a greater underlying risk of anorexia. Instead, they often reflect stronger diagnostic capacity, broader mental health awareness, and more complete reporting. Countries with universal healthcare systems and established psychiatric services are generally more likely to identify and record eating disorders than those with limited access to mental health care.

Prevalence Rates vs Total Number of Cases

While prevalence rates allow for meaningful comparisons between countries, total case counts tell a different story. Countries with large populations often report the highest number of people living with anorexia, even when their per-capita rates are relatively low.

For example, India has a prevalence rate of 48.3 cases per 100,000 people, well below many Western countries. However, due to its population size, this translates to an estimated 697,000 total cases—the highest total in the dataset. Similarly, China and the United States report lower rates than top-ranked countries but account for hundreds of thousands of total cases.

This distinction highlights why both metrics matter. Prevalence rates help identify where anorexia is most common relative to population size, while total prevalence reflects the overall public health burden faced by healthcare systems.