In brief
The Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis shows Australia has the world's highest when it comes to eating disorders, with 1,026.5 cases per 100,000. The prevalence of anorexia and bulimia rose 71% between 1990 and 2023, doubling concerns about mental health surveillance. 70% of cases are female, and 41% of affected people are aged 10‑24.
A global study released by Xinhua on 29 October finds Australia has the highest prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, with an estimated 1,026.5 cases per 100,000 people affected by one of the two disorders.
The data come from the Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis, which estimates that 18.1 million people worldwide had either disorder in 2023, including 3.92 million with anorexia and 14.2 million with bulimia.
Global cases of the two eating disorders rose 71 percent between 1990 and 2023, and are projected to continue rising through 2050, underscoring the need to integrate eating disorders into mental health surveillance, prevention, early detection, and care planning worldwide.
Damian Santomauro, the study’s senior author and a University of Queensland epidemiologist, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that Australia’s ranking was "surprising and concerning."
Females accounted for nearly 70 percent of global cases, while about 41 percent of all cases affected people aged 10 to 24.
The largest increases occurred in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, according to the study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
ABC News confirmed the estimate of 1,026.5 cases per 100,000, reporting that Australia has the highest rate of any country in the world.
