In brief
Australia now has the world’s highest prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, with roughly 1,026.5 cases per 100,000 people. The rate has jumped 71% from 1990 to 2023 and is expected to keep growing until 2050, prompting calls for better mental‑health monitoring and prevention. Global data show 18.1 million people suffer from eating disorders, with 70% of cases in females and a large share of cases among youth aged 10‑24.
A new global study released on Saturday by Xinhua reports that Australia leads the world for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, with an estimated 1,026.5 people per 100,000 people affected by one of the two disorders.
The study, based on the Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis, shows that the prevalence of these eating disorders rose 71 percent between 1990 and 2023. It also projects the trend to continue up to 2050.
Worldwide, the analysis estimates 18.1 million people were living with anorexia or bulimia in 2023, including 3.92 million with anorexia and 14.2 million with bulimia.
On a gender basis, females accounted for nearly 70 percent of all global cases, and about 41 percent of cases were among people aged 10 to 24.
Regional growth was strongest in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, the study notes. Australian epidemiologist Damian Santomauro, the study’s senior author, said Australia’s ranking was “surprising and concerning.”
The authors say the high numbers highlight the need to integrate eating disorders into mental‑health surveillance, prevention, early detection, and care planning worldwide.
