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Stress in the UK - statistics & facts

In the modern world, stress may seem an increasingly typical part of day-to-day life, however, when it spirals out of control and affects a person on a long-term basis, this can lead to a range of serious health conditions. In the United Kingdom being stressed is common, especially among young adults, with 86 percent of people aged between 18 and 24 years feeling stressed at least once a month, as of 2021. Personal health was the third most common cause of stress in the UK at that time, after not getting enough sleep and money, and Northern Ireland was the region with the highest share of respondents stressed by their health.

Work-related stress and absences

In 2021, work in general and workload were among the most common causes of stress in the UK. In Great Britain, roughly 875,000 workers reported work-related stress, depression, or anxiety between 2022 and 2023. In 2022, around 12 percent of Britons declared feeling very stressed at work, while 40 percent were fairly stressed. Causes for stress at work include high workload, as well as non-work factors such as relationships and family. Excessive stress can result in stress-related work absence and burnout. As of 2023, stress was the fifth most common cause for short-term absences from work in the UK, and fourth when considering long-term absences.

Stress among healthcare workers

In 2023, over one-fourth of NHS bank workers reported feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress in the last 12 months. Variations were observed across occupation groups. Medical and dental staff were the ones with the highest percentage of people feeling unwell due to work-related stress, with over 35 percent, while administration and clerical staff reported the lowest share. Among general practitioners in the UK, 71 percent reported having an extremely stressful or very stressful job in 2022, an increase of 11 percentage points compared to 2019. GPs reporting feeling completely burned out totaled four percent, while six percent had continuous symptoms of burnout.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

UK city with the highest share of people feeling stressed: Plymouth

First cause for feeling stressed in the UK: Not getting enough sleep and money

First cause for feeling stressed among males in the UK: Money

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain from 2008/09 to 2022/23 (in 1,000s)

Employment

Number of workers reporting work-related stress in Britain 2008-2023

Average rate of absence per employee in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023

State of Health

Days of absence per employee in the UK 2010-2023

Distribution of organizations' focus on promoting health and well-being in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023

Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Aspects of health and well-being being promoted by organizations in the UK in 2023

Overview

Premium Statistic Share of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by age
Share of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by age
Percentage of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by age group
Premium Statistic Share of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by city
Share of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by city
Percentage of people in the UK who felt stressed at least once a month in 2021, by city
Premium Statistic Share of people in the UK who felt stressed in 2021, by cause
Share of people in the UK who felt stressed in 2021, by cause
Percentage of people in the UK who felt stressed in 2021, by cause
Premium Statistic Share of people in the UK feeling stressed in 2021, by gender and cause
Share of people in the UK feeling stressed in 2021, by gender and cause
Percentage of people in the UK feeling stressed in 2021, by gender and cause
Premium Statistic Share of people in the UK who felt stressed about their health in 2021, by region
Share of people in the UK who felt stressed about their health in 2021, by region
Percentage of people in the UK who felt stressed about their health in 2021, by region

Work-related stress

Premium Statistic Number of workers reporting work-related stress in Britain 2008-2023
Number of workers reporting work-related stress in Britain 2008-2023
Number of workers reporting work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain from 2008/09 to 2022/23 (in 1,000s)
Premium Statistic Most common causes of stress at work in the United Kingdom in 2021
Most common causes of stress at work in the United Kingdom in 2021
Most common causes of stress at work in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2021*
Premium Statistic Share of Britons who felt stressed at work in 2022
Share of Britons who felt stressed at work in 2022
Percentage of Britons who felt stressed at work in 2022
Premium Statistic Share of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by age
Share of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by age
Percentage of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by age group
Premium Statistic Share of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by frequency
Share of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by frequency
Percentage of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by frequency

Work absences

Premium Statistic Causes of short-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Causes of short-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Most common causes of short-term absences from work in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023*
Premium Statistic Causes of long-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Causes of long-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Most common causes of long-term absences from work in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023*
Premium Statistic Causes of stress-related absence from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Causes of stress-related absence from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Most common causes of stress-related absence from work in the United Kingdom in 2023*
Premium Statistic Days of absence per employee in the UK 2010-2023
Days of absence per employee in the UK 2010-2023
Average rate of absence per employee in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023
Premium Statistic Days of absence per employee in the UK 2023, by company size
Days of absence per employee in the UK 2023, by company size
Average rate of absence per employee in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023, by company workforce size

Employer's actions

Premium Statistic Aspects of health and well-being being promoted by organizations in the UK in 2023
Aspects of health and well-being being promoted by organizations in the UK in 2023
Distribution of organizations' focus on promoting health and well-being in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023
Premium Statistic Actions taken by employers to manage mental health in the UK in 2023
Actions taken by employers to manage mental health in the UK in 2023
Share of actions taken by employers to manage their employees' mental health at work in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023
Premium Statistic Effectiveness of employers in promoting positive mental health in the UK in 2022
Effectiveness of employers in promoting positive mental health in the UK in 2022
Share of respondents who agree with the following statements regarding their organization's effectiveness in promoting positive mental health in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2022

Stress among healthcare workers

Premium Statistic Share of UK NHS staff unwell due to work related stress by occupation 2023
Share of UK NHS staff unwell due to work related stress by occupation 2023
Percentage of NHS staff in the UK who felt unwell due to work related stress during the last 12 months as of 2023, by selected occupation group
Premium Statistic Share of UK NHS staff who felt burnt out in 2023, by organization type
Share of UK NHS staff who felt burnt out in 2023, by organization type
Percentage of NHS staff in the UK who felt burnt out due to work in 2023, by organization type
Premium Statistic Share of UK NHS staff with a good work-life balance in 2023, by occupation
Share of UK NHS staff with a good work-life balance in 2023, by occupation
Percentage of NHS staff in the UK who said they achieved a good work-life balance as of 2023, by selected occupation group
Premium Statistic Share of GPs having an extremely or very stressful job in the UK, 2019 and 2022
Share of GPs having an extremely or very stressful job in the UK, 2019 and 2022
Percentage of GPs in the UK reporting having an extremely stressful or very stressful job in 2019 and 2022
Premium Statistic Share of GPs feeling burned out in the UK in 2022
Share of GPs feeling burned out in the UK in 2022
Percentage of GPs in the UK reporting feeling burned out in 2022

COVID impact

Basic Statistic Reasons for heightened anxiety during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK 2020
Reasons for heightened anxiety during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK 2020
Share of reasons for people experiencing heightened anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown in the United Kingdom as of May 2020
Basic Statistic Anxiety levels of individuals during the lockdown in the UK in May 2020
Anxiety levels of individuals during the lockdown in the UK in May 2020
Thinking about the Coronavirus pandemic and the current UK lockdown, which of the following statements best describes how you are feeling during this time?
Basic Statistic Impact of the lockdown on personal day-to-day emotions in the UK as of May 2020
Impact of the lockdown on personal day-to-day emotions in the UK as of May 2020
Do you feel that the Coronavirus pandemic and current UK lockdown has had a positive or negative impact on how you feel each day?
Basic Statistic Impact of the lockdown on people's well-being in Great Britain as of May 2020
Impact of the lockdown on people's well-being in Great Britain as of May 2020
In the past seven days, how has your well-being being affected by coronavirus?*
Basic Statistic Effect of coronavirus crisis on young people's mental health in the UK in 2020
Effect of coronavirus crisis on young people's mental health in the UK in 2020
Distribution of the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the public health measures on young people's mental health in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2020
Basic Statistic Young people's coping mechanisms during coronavirus crisis in the UK in 2020
Young people's coping mechanisms during coronavirus crisis in the UK in 2020
Share of young people who find the following activities helpful in coping and self-managing their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2020

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Stress in the UK" and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

Most common cause of stress at work in UK
Workload
Detailed statistics
Most common causes of stress at work in the United Kingdom in 2021
Share of Britons being very stressed at work
12%
Detailed statistics
Share of Britons who felt stressed at work in 2022
Share of Britons feeling very or fairly stressed at work a lot of time
22%
Detailed statistics
Share of Britons who felt very or fairly stressed at work in 2022, by frequency

Share of short-term absences caused by stress in the UK
26%
Detailed statistics
Causes of short-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Share of long-term absences caused by stress in the UK
37%
Detailed statistics
Causes of long-term absences from work in the United Kingdom in 2023
Second-most common cause of stress-related absence from work in the UK
Management style
Detailed statistics
Causes of stress-related absence from work in the United Kingdom in 2023

NHS staff group with the highest share work-related stress in the UK
Medical and dental staff
Detailed statistics
Share of UK NHS staff unwell due to work related stress by occupation 2023
NHS staff group with the highest share of good work-life balance in the UK
Administration and clerical staff
Detailed statistics
Share of UK NHS staff with a good work-life balance in 2023, by occupation
Share of GPs reporting having an extremely or very stressful job
71%
Detailed statistics
Share of GPs having an extremely or very stressful job in the UK, 2019 and 2022