Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDJAMA psychiatry
Global Burden of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, 1990 to 2023, With Forecasts to 2050: A Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 Analysis.
40 affiliations
- 1Evidence-Based Research Center of Social Science and Health, School of Public Affairs, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China.
- 2Clinical Medical Research Center, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- 3School of Elderly Care Services and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
- 4Department of Science and Technology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- 5Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- 6Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle.
- 7School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- 8Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, QLD, Australia.
- 9Department of Nursing, Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
- 10Department of Community Medicine, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria.
- 11Department of Family and Community Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
- 12School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- 13Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
- 14Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
- 15Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
- 16Clinical Trials Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
- 17Department of Nursing, Almoosa College of Health Sciences, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
- 18Department of Nursing Science, Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Nigeria.
- 19Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- 20School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
- 21Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
- 22Centre for Health Systems Support and Development, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
- 23Slum and Rural Health Initiative Research Academy, Slum and Rural Health Initiative, Ibadan, Nigeria.
- 24Department of Physiotherapy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
- 25Department of Educational Counselling and Developmental Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
- 26Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- 27Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
- 28School of Arts and Social Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Bunbury, WA, Australia.
- 29Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
- 30Operations Department, World Vision, Kete Krachi, Ghana.
- 31SPRINT Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Guarda, Portugal.
- 32Health Research and Innovation Sciences Center, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Klaipeda, Lithuania.
- 33Department of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
- 34Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
- 35King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- 36Department of Pharmacy Practice, Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.
- 37Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health (IDGPH), University of California San Diego, San Diego, California.
- 38Department of Health Sciences and Informatics, Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- 39Department of Applied Statistics and Data Science, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- 40Department of Computer Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Importance
Eating disorders are a major cause of nonfatal mental health burden, yet global evidence on their long-term trends, geographic distribution, and future trajectories remains limited.Objective
To estimate the global, regional, and national prevalence and disability burden of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa-and mortality attributable to anorexia nervosa-from 1990 to 2023, and to forecast prevalence to 2050.Design, setting, and participants
Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 methods, data were synthesized from systematic literature reviews, population surveys, and vital registration systems. Estimates were produced for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, with forecasts through 2050. These data were analyzed from October 2025 to August 2026.Exposure
Anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa diagnosis.Main outcomes and measures
Counts and age-standardized rates with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and anorexia nervosa mortality, reported by age, sex, and location.Results
In 2023, an estimated 18.1 million people (95% UI, 13.9-24.0) globally were living with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, of whom 12.6 million (69.4%) were female, 5.5 million were male (30.6%), and 41.2% were aged 10 to 24 years. These cases accounted for 3.83 million DALYs (95% UI, 2.23-5.69). Since 1990, the global number of prevalent cases increased by 71.0%, while age-standardized prevalence and DALY rates rose by about 21%. Females experienced substantially higher prevalence and DALY rates than males. The highest age-standardized prevalence rates were observed in high-income regions, particularly Australasia and Western Europe, whereas the largest relative increases in age-standardized prevalence occurred in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Forecasts indicate continued increases in prevalent cases through 2050.Conclusions and relevance
This GBD 2023 analysis found that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa contribute substantially to global nonfatal health loss. These findings support the integration of eating disorders into mental health surveillance, prevention, and service planning worldwide.
Related
- Metacognitive confidence independently predicts body image delusionality in anorexia and bulimia nervosa
- Laryngeal vs. Esophageal Acid-Mediated Injury in Bulimia Nervosa: A Systematic Review
- Structural Brain Correlates of Bulimia Nervosa Diagnosis and Symptom Severity
- When anorexia nervosa conceals Cushing syndrome: a diagnostic pitfall in hypercortisolemia
- Thesis presentation. Anorexia nervosa, deconstructing a concept to rethink care: A historical and anthropological approach
BibTeX
@article{bai2026global,
title = {{Global Burden of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, 1990 to 2023, With Forecasts to 2050: A Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 Analysis.}},
author = {Ruhai Bai and Wanyue Dong and Xu Wang and Aihua Zhang and Damian F Santomauro and GBD Eating Disorders Collaborators and Hasan Aalruz and Olumide Abiodun and Richard Gyan Aboagye and Khaled M Aboshanab and Lucas Guimarães Abreu and Amr Selim Abu Lila and Hana J Abukhadijah and Mohammad S Abu-Mahfouz and Nuhu Lawan Adamu and Babatope Oluwadamilare Adebiyi and Saheed Ayodeji Adekola and Miracle Ayomikun Adesina and Habeeb Omoponle Adewuyi and Amaha K Adhanu and Obed Adonteng-Kissi and Percival Delali Agordoh and Salome Wumpini Agordoh and César Agostinis Sobrinho and Abdul Momin Rizwan Ahmad and Khabir Ahmad and Ali Ahmed and Md Faisal Ahmed and Shakeel Ahmed and Kenni Wojujutari Ajele and Oluwabusayomi O Akeju and Oladipo Vincent Akinmade and Wole Akosile and Ashley E Akrami and Ahmad Al Athamneh and Salah Al Awaidy and Duaa Fayiz Al Maghaireh and Omar Al Omari and Mohammad Ahmmad Mahmoud Al Zoubi and Mohammad Khursheed Alam and Muath A Alammar and Shams M F Al-Anzi and Mohammed Albashtawy and Abdulelah Mastour Aldhahir and Bezawit Abeje Alemayehu and Baidaa Alhalabi and Fadwa Naji Alhalaiqa and Mohammad Jamil Alhawajreh and Ashraf Alhumaidi and Ahmed Naif Ali and Mohammed Usman Ali and Hamid Alinejad Rokny and Samah W Al-Jabi and Ahmad Alkhatib and Sameer Abdulmalik Alkubati and Sabah Al-Marwani and Joseph Uy Almazan and Rajaa M Al-Raddadi and Bandar Alsaif and Abdalkarem Fedgash Alsharari},
journal = {JAMA psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.3457},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42949727},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Global Burden of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, 1990 to 2023, With Forecasts to 2050: A Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 Analysis.
AU - Ruhai Bai
AU - Wanyue Dong
AU - Xu Wang
AU - Aihua Zhang
AU - Damian F Santomauro
AU - GBD Eating Disorders Collaborators
AU - Hasan Aalruz
AU - Olumide Abiodun
AU - Richard Gyan Aboagye
AU - Khaled M Aboshanab
AU - Lucas Guimarães Abreu
AU - Amr Selim Abu Lila
AU - Hana J Abukhadijah
AU - Mohammad S Abu-Mahfouz
AU - Nuhu Lawan Adamu
AU - Babatope Oluwadamilare Adebiyi
AU - Saheed Ayodeji Adekola
AU - Miracle Ayomikun Adesina
AU - Habeeb Omoponle Adewuyi
AU - Amaha K Adhanu
AU - Obed Adonteng-Kissi
AU - Percival Delali Agordoh
AU - Salome Wumpini Agordoh
AU - César Agostinis Sobrinho
AU - Abdul Momin Rizwan Ahmad
AU - Khabir Ahmad
AU - Ali Ahmed
AU - Md Faisal Ahmed
AU - Shakeel Ahmed
AU - Kenni Wojujutari Ajele
AU - Oluwabusayomi O Akeju
AU - Oladipo Vincent Akinmade
AU - Wole Akosile
AU - Ashley E Akrami
AU - Ahmad Al Athamneh
AU - Salah Al Awaidy
AU - Duaa Fayiz Al Maghaireh
AU - Omar Al Omari
AU - Mohammad Ahmmad Mahmoud Al Zoubi
AU - Mohammad Khursheed Alam
AU - Muath A Alammar
AU - Shams M F Al-Anzi
AU - Mohammed Albashtawy
AU - Abdulelah Mastour Aldhahir
AU - Bezawit Abeje Alemayehu
AU - Baidaa Alhalabi
AU - Fadwa Naji Alhalaiqa
AU - Mohammad Jamil Alhawajreh
AU - Ashraf Alhumaidi
AU - Ahmed Naif Ali
AU - Mohammed Usman Ali
AU - Hamid Alinejad Rokny
AU - Samah W Al-Jabi
AU - Ahmad Alkhatib
AU - Sameer Abdulmalik Alkubati
AU - Sabah Al-Marwani
AU - Joseph Uy Almazan
AU - Rajaa M Al-Raddadi
AU - Bandar Alsaif
AU - Abdalkarem Fedgash Alsharari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - JAMA psychiatry
DO - 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.3457
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42949727
AB - Importance Eating disorders are a major cause of nonfatal mental health burden, yet global evidence on their long-term trends, geographic distribution, and future trajectories remains limited.Objective To estimate the global, regional, and national prevalence and disability burden of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa-and mortality attributable to anorexia nervosa-from 1990 to 2023, and to forecast prevalence to 2050.Design, setting, and participants Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 methods, data were synthesized from systematic literature reviews, population surveys, and vital registration systems. Estimates were produced for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, with forecasts through 2050. These data were analyzed from October 2025 to August 2026.Exposure Anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa diagnosis.Main outcomes and measures Counts and age-standardized rates with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and anorexia nervosa mortality, reported by age, sex, and location.Results In 2023, an estimated 18.1 million people (95% UI, 13.9-24.0) globally were living with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, of whom 12.6 million (69.4%) were female, 5.5 million were male (30.6%), and 41.2% were aged 10 to 24 years. These cases accounted for 3.83 million DALYs (95% UI, 2.23-5.69). Since 1990, the global number of prevalent cases increased by 71.0%, while age-standardized prevalence and DALY rates rose by about 21%. Females experienced substantially higher prevalence and DALY rates than males. The highest age-standardized prevalence rates were observed in high-income regions, particularly Australasia and Western Europe, whereas the largest relative increases in age-standardized prevalence occurred in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Forecasts indicate continued increases in prevalent cases through 2050.Conclusions and relevance This GBD 2023 analysis found that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa contribute substantially to global nonfatal health loss. These findings support the integration of eating disorders into mental health surveillance, prevention, and service planning worldwide.
SN - 2168-622X
SN - 2168-6238
ER -