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Roughly 11.4% of U.S. adults — better than one in nine — took prescription medication for depression in 2023, according to the National Health Interview Survey (CDC, 2025). Women were more than twice as likely as men to do so: 15.3% versus 7.4%. That figure, drawn from the newest federal data available, is the most current national snapshot of how many Americans rely on medication to manage depression.
Antidepressant statistics are easy to misread, though, because different federal surveys measure different things. The 11.4% above counts adults who took medication specifically for depression. A separate, broader measure — the share of adults using any antidepressant in the past month — runs higher, because these drugs are also prescribed for anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep. The two numbers describe overlapping but distinct populations and come from different years, so one should never be read as a rise or fall relative to the other.
This article walks through the current numbers: who takes antidepressants and the demographic gaps behind the average, how the two headline measures differ, the two-decade climb in use, how long people stay on these medications, and the sharp recent increase among young people. Throughout, these are descriptive statistics — a picture of use patterns across the population, not clinical guidance or medical advice about any individual’s treatment.
The Newest Number: 11.4% of Adults in 2023
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) asked adults whether, in the past 12 months, they had taken prescription medication for depression. In 2023, 11.4% said yes (CDC, 2025). This is the freshest national figure and the cleanest measure of medication use tied directly to depression rather than to the many other conditions antidepressants can treat.
It arrives against a backdrop of rising need. The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reports that depression prevalence among U.S. adolescents and adults climbed roughly 60% over the past decade (CDC, 2025). More people meeting the threshold for depression is part of what sits behind more people taking medication for it. For the prevalence side of that story, see how many people have depression and our depression statistics 2026 roundup.
The Gaps: Sex, Age, Disability, and Living Alone
The 11.4% average conceals wide variation. The clearest divide is by sex.
| Group (2023, NHIS) | Took medication for depression |
|---|---|
| Women | 15.3% |
| Men | 7.4% |
| Ages 18–44 | 10.7% |
| Ages 45–64 | 12.1% |
| Ages 65–74 | 12.4% |
| Ages 75+ | 11.3% |
Women were more than twice as likely as men to take medication for depression (CDC, 2025), a gap that tracks the underlying difference in depression prevalence between the sexes and is examined further on our women and men population pages. By age, use was fairly flat across adulthood, peaking modestly among adults 65 to 74.
Two other splits stand out. Adults with disabilities took medication for depression at nearly three times the rate of those without, and people living alone were more likely to than those living with others.
| Group (2023, NHIS) | Took medication for depression |
|---|---|
| Adults with a disability | 28.2% |
| Adults without a disability | 9.7% |
| Living alone | 14.4% |
| Not living alone | 10.9% |
Use also differed sharply by race and ethnicity (CDC, 2025):
| Race/ethnicity (2023, NHIS) | Took medication for depression |
|---|---|
| White | 14.3% |
| Black | 7.7% |
| Hispanic | 6.7% |
| Asian | 3.4% |
White adults were more than four times as likely as Asian adults to take medication for depression. These gaps reflect a mix of differences in diagnosis, access to care, and treatment preferences rather than differences in underlying distress alone.
A Broader Measure: 13.2% Used “Any Antidepressant”
A second figure circulates widely and is often confused with the one above. In 2015–2018, 13.2% of U.S. adults reported using any antidepressant in the past 30 days, according to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (CDC, 2020). This is a broader measure: it counts every adult taking an antidepressant drug, regardless of why. Antidepressants are commonly prescribed not just for depression but for anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, and other conditions, so this number sweeps in more people than the depression-specific NHIS measure.
Because it is a different instrument covering a different period, 13.2% (2015–2018) should not be read as a decline to 11.4% (2023). They are two separate measures of two overlapping populations, each valid on its own terms.
| Adult measure | Prevalence | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Took medication for depression, past 12 months (2023) | 11.4% | NHIS (CDC, 2025) |
| Used any antidepressant, past 30 days (2015–2018) | 13.2% | NHANES (CDC, 2020) |
Within the broader NHANES measure, the same demographic pattern holds, and use rose with age:
| Group (2015–2018, NHANES) | Used any antidepressant |
|---|---|
| Women | 17.7% |
| Men | 8.4% |
| Ages 18–39 | 7.9% |
| Ages 40–59 | 14.4% |
| Ages 60+ | 19.0% |
Nearly one in five adults 60 and older had used an antidepressant in the prior month (CDC, 2020) — the highest of any age band and a pattern worth keeping in mind on our older adults page. The much heavier reliance on these medications later in life partly reflects their use for conditions beyond depression.
Two Decades of Rising Use
Antidepressant use has climbed steadily for more than 20 years. Looking at everyone ages 12 and older, past-month antidepressant use rose from 7.7% in 1999–2002 to 12.7% in 2011–2014 (CDC, 2017) — a jump of roughly two-thirds over that span. In the 2011–2014 window, 12.7% of persons 12 and over had taken an antidepressant in the past month, with females (16.5%) roughly twice as likely as males (8.6%).
The upward trend continues in the most recent data. A peer-reviewed NHANES analysis found that medication use for depression among U.S. adults rose from 9.8% in 2019 to 11.4% in 2023, a statistically significant increase (Oguntuase et al., 2025). The direction is consistent across surveys: more Americans are taking these medications now than a decade or two ago.
| Measure | Earlier | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant use, persons 12+ (NHANES) | 7.7% (1999–2002) | 12.7% (2011–2014) |
| Medication for depression, adults (NHANES) | 9.8% (2019) | 11.4% (2023) |
How Long People Stay on Antidepressants
Prevalence captures how many people take antidepressants at a given moment, but not for how long. Long-term use is common. Among people 12 and older taking antidepressants in 2011–2014, 68.0% had been taking them for two years or more (CDC, 2017). About a quarter — roughly 25% — had taken them for 10 years or longer, with women (27.2%) somewhat more likely than men (21.4%) to be very long-term users.
| Duration of use (persons 12+, 2011–2014) | Share of users |
|---|---|
| 2 years or more | 68.0% |
| 10 years or more | ~25% (men 21.4%, women 27.2%) |
These durations describe how long people who take antidepressants tend to stay on them; they are not a recommendation about how long anyone should. Decisions about starting, continuing, or stopping medication belong with a person and their clinician. For the underlying condition detail, see our pillar pages on depression and major depressive disorder.
A Sharp Rise Among Young People
The steepest recent movement is among the young. A peer-reviewed analysis of dispensing data found that the monthly rate of antidepressants dispensed to youth ages 12 to 25 rose 66.3% from 2016 to 2022, with the increase accelerating after March 2020 (Chua et al., 2024). In other words, the rate at which antidepressants reach adolescents and young adults grew by roughly two-thirds in just six years, and the climb steepened during the pandemic.
That acceleration mirrors the broader rise in youth depression and distress documented on our teens and young adults pages. Antidepressants are one part of a wider picture of psychiatric medication use — alongside anxiety medication and ADHD medication — and the youth trend is where the data have shifted fastest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Americans take antidepressants?
In 2023, 11.4% of U.S. adults took prescription medication for depression (CDC, 2025). A broader measure — any antidepressant used in the past 30 days, which also captures use for anxiety, pain, and sleep — was 13.2% of adults in 2015–2018 (CDC, 2020). The two are different measures from different years and should not be compared directly.
Are women or men more likely to take antidepressants?
Women, by more than two to one. In 2023, 15.3% of women took medication for depression compared with 7.4% of men (CDC, 2025). The same gap appears in the broader NHANES measure, at 17.7% of women versus 8.4% of men (CDC, 2020).
Is antidepressant use rising?
Yes. Among people 12 and older, past-month antidepressant use rose from 7.7% in 1999–2002 to 12.7% in 2011–2014 (CDC, 2017), and a more recent analysis found medication use for depression among adults rose from 9.8% in 2019 to 11.4% in 2023 (Oguntuase et al., 2025).
How long do people stay on antidepressants?
Among users 12 and older in 2011–2014, 68.0% had taken them for two years or more, and about 25% for 10 years or longer (CDC, 2017). These figures describe use patterns, not guidance on treatment length.
Which age group uses antidepressants the most?
By the broader NHANES measure, adults 60 and older had the highest past-month use, at 19.0% (CDC, 2020). In the 2023 depression-specific measure, use was fairly even across adulthood, peaking modestly among adults 65 to 74 at 12.4% (CDC, 2025).
Is antidepressant use increasing among teenagers?
Yes. The rate of antidepressants dispensed to youth ages 12 to 25 rose 66.3% from 2016 to 2022, with the increase accelerating after March 2020 (Chua et al., 2024).
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Depression and Prescription Medication Use Among Adults: United States, 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 528. CDC; 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db528.htm
- Brody DJ, Gu Q. Antidepressant Use Among Adults: United States, 2015–2018. NCHS Data Brief No. 377. CDC; 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm
- Pratt LA, Brody DJ, Gu Q. Antidepressant Use Among Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief No. 283. CDC; 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db283.pdf
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Depression prevalence and medication (press release). CDC; 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/releases/20250416.html
- Oguntuase S, et al. Trends in medication use for depression among US adults, NHANES 2019–2023. 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40585719/
- Chua KP, et al. Antidepressant dispensing to US youth, 2016–2022. 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38404197/