Symptoms of generalized anxiety affected 39.4% of the population aged 16 and over in 2025, an increase of 7.4 percentage points, particularly impacting women, older adults, and the unemployed, according to data from Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
According to the report “Health Statistics”, released ahead of World Health Day, 11.3% of the population showed more severe levels of anxiety.
Women were more affected than men, with 46.2% reporting anxiety symptoms compared to 31.2% of men. In severe cases, the gap remains, with 14.6% among women and 7.2% among men.
The data, based on the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (ICOR), also shows that older populations experience higher anxiety levels than younger groups, with differences of three percentage points overall and 3.5 percentage points in severe cases.
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Compared to 2024, anxiety prevalence increased significantly, particularly among women under 65.
Education level also plays a role: individuals with higher education (33.9%) or secondary education (35.9%) reported lower anxiety levels than those with no formal education (49.6%) or only basic education (43.7%).
Unemployment is another key factor, with 50.2% of unemployed individuals experiencing anxiety symptoms. Among employed people, the rate stands at 36.6%, while among the economically inactive it ranges from 41% for retirees to 46.2% for others outside the workforce.
Despite worsening mental health indicators, overall life satisfaction remained stable, with an average score of 7.3 out of 10, unchanged from 2024.
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In terms of general health perception, 52.7% of the population rated their health as good or very good in 2025, slightly down from 53.6% in 2024, but still above levels recorded between 2021 and 2023.
Meanwhile, 12.1% rated their health negatively, a figure similar to the previous year and lower than earlier in the decade. Positive health perception remains more common among men (56.5%) than women (49.3%), and significantly higher among those aged 16–64 (66%) compared to those aged 65 and over (19.1%).
Higher education levels are strongly linked to better health perception, with 76% of university graduates and 68.4% of those with secondary education reporting good or very good health, compared to just 34.9% among those with basic education and 10.8% among those with no schooling.
Among employment groups, 67.3% of employed individuals reported positive health status, compared to 49.7% among the unemployed.
