More than 4 percent of the world's population lives with depression, and women, youth and the elderly are the most prone to its disabling effects, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.
An estimated 322 million people suffered depressive disorders in 2015, a rise of 18.4 percent in a decade, as people live longer, the United Nations agency said in a report.
Global economic losses exceed $1 trillion a year, it said, referring to lost productivity due to apathy or lack of energy that lead to an inability to function at work or cope with daily life.
"Depression is the single largest contributor to years lived with disability. So it's the top cause of disability in the world today," Dr. Dan Chisholm of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse told a news briefing.
Depression is 1.5 times more common among women than men, he said.
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