Global eating disorder prevalence

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry by an international team of scientists, including Ruhai Bai of Nanjing University and experts from the Medical University of Vienna, reports that approximately 18.1 million people worldwide were living with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa as of 2023. This represents a 71 percent increase in cases since 1990, and projections suggest a potential doubling of cases by 2050.

Data indicates that 12.6 million sufferers were female (69.4 percent) and 5.5 million were male (30.6 percent). The disorders disproportionately affect younger populations, with 41.2 percent of those affected aged between 10 and 24. While high prevalence rates were observed in high-income regions such as Australia, the Pacific, and Western Europe, the largest relative increases occurred in East, South, and Southeast Asia.

In Austria, some specialists note that over 90 percent of affected individuals are female. Experts suggest that Western lifestyles, social media, and beauty ideals emphasizing thinness act as negative amplifiers contributing to the rising numbers. In Romania, an estimated 38,500 people are affected.