Bipolar Disorder Statistics in the United States

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition, affecting millions of adults and adolescents in the United States. 

Bipolar disorder presents serious social, economic, and health challenges, including high rates of hospitalization, impairment, and suicide risk. According to various studies, between 1.5% to 4.4% of U.S. adults will experience bipolar disorder in their lifetime. 

Let’s explore the key statistics on the prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and economic impact of bipolar disorder in the U.S.

Key Takeaways: 

• Around 3.1 million American adults (1.5% of the population) live with bipolar disorder.
• Bipolar I disorder is most common in young adults aged 18-25, affecting 3.4% of the population (or 1.2 million individuals).
• About 2.9% of U.S. adolescents aged 13-18 have bipolar disorder, with a higher prevalence among females (3.3%) than males (2.6%).
• Between 2016 and 2018, bipolar disorder was the third most common mental health diagnosis leading to inpatient stays in the U.S.
• Native American/Alaskan Natives have the highest rate of bipolar spectrum disorder diagnoses (1.5%) among racial groups, while Asians have the lowest (0.2%).
• Illinois has the highest rate of inpatient stays for bipolar disorder, with 150.6 stays per 100,000 population, compared to 33.2 per 100,000 in Washington.
• Bipolar disorder costs the U.S. about $219.1 billion annually, with 72-80% of the costs coming from lost productivity.
• In Illinois alone, bipolar disorder cost more than $5.9 billion in 2018.
• Individuals with bipolar disorder are 10 to 30 times more likely to die by suicide compared to the general U.S. population.
• The prevalence of bipolar disorder is nearly equal between men (2.9%) and women (2.8%) in the U.S.

Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder Among U.S. Adults

• According to a 2023 report by RTI International and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 3.1 million American adults (aged 18 to 65) live with bipolar disorder. This makes up 1.5% of the adult population.
• According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, around 4.4% of U.S. adults will likely experience bipolar symptoms at one point in their lives. 
• According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, bipolar disorder affects an estimated 2.6% of American adults (aged 18 or above) in any given year. Most patients experience their first manic episode in their early 20s. 
• In the United States, bipolar I disorder is the most common among young adults aged 18 to 25 years, affecting 3.4% or 1.2 million individuals in this age category, according to RTI International. 

• A study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that between 2016 and 2018, bipolar disorders were the third most common mental health diagnosis leading to inpatient stays in the United States.
• According to data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (2001-2003), 82.9% of American adults diagnosed with a bipolar diagnosis were seriously impaired while 17.1% reported moderate impairment.  

Prevalence of Bipolar Disorder Among U.S. Adolescents

According to the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement (2001 to 2004): 

• Around 2.9% of U.S. adolescents (between 13 and 18 years old) are estimated to have bipolar disorder. 
• Of those adolescents, 2.6% experience severe impairment, as determined by DSM-IV criteria.
• Bipolar disorder prevalence was higher in female adolescents (3.3%) compared to males (2.6%).

Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Rates

• According to a 2023 report by RTI International and SAMHSA, in 2023, around 1 million adults aged 26-44 received bipolar I disorder treatment in the past year.
• For adults aged 45-65, about 0.7 million individuals with bipolar I disorder received treatment in 2023. 
• According to a 2011 study published in the journal Psychiatric Services that analyzed data from 7,523,956 mental health patients in the U.S., Native American/Alaskan Natives had the highest rate of bipolar spectrum disorder diagnoses among ethnicity (1.5%), while Asians had the lowest (0.2%). 

• According to the 2011 study by Coleman KJ, Stewart C, Waitzfelder BE, et al., Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders were 49% less likely to receive medication for bipolar disorder compared to non-Hispanic whites. Non-Hispanic Blacks were 46% less likely to receive medication for bipolar disorder compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
• When it came to receiving formal psychotherapy for bipolar disorder, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders were 18% less likely to receive treatment compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Similarly, Asians and Hispanics had 33% lower rates of psychotherapy than their non-Hispanic White counterparts.
• According to a 2018 study published by the National Library of Medicine, men with bipolar who were African-American were at a much higher risk of being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia (25%) compared to Caucasian men with bipolar disorder (7%).  
• A 2003 cross-sectional study by Akinhanmi MO, Biernacka JM, Strakowski SM, et al. reported that African-American patients were administered antipsychotic medications at a much higher rate compared to White patients (92% vs 62%).

Bipolar Disorder Prevalence by State

A 2022 study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality studied the geographic variation in inpatient stays for bipolar disorder in 38 U.S. states. It found that: 

• Between 2016 and 2018, the rate of inpatient stays due to bipolar disorders varied significantly by state, from 33.2 per 100,000 in Washington to nearly 5 times higher or 150.6 per 100,000 in Illinois.
• Illinois had the highest rates of inpatient stays for bipolar disorder, with a rate of 150.6 per 100,000 population. 

• 20 states had areas where the hospitalization rate for bipolar and related disorders fell within the top 25%, exceeding 113.6 hospital stays per 100,000 people. These rates varied widely, from 8.1 per 100,000 in central Colorado to 301.5 per 100,000 in northern West Virginia.

Illinois 

• In 2017, approximately 277,394 adults in Illinois lived with bipolar disorder in the last year, according to the USC Schaeffer’s Cost of Mental Illness 2019 report. 
• In 2018, bipolar disorder cost the state of Illinois more than $5.9 billion in total expenses, as reported by the USC Schaeffer’s Cost of Mental Illness 2019 report.
• In 2014, approximately 19,563 adults in Illinois were hospitalized due to bipolar disorder. The hospitalization rate in Illinois was 7.1 per 100 bipolar patients, nearly double that of the national rate of 4.7 per 100 patients. 
• In 2014, the average duration of hospital stays for adults with bipolar was 8.2 days in Illinois, slightly higher than the national rate of 7.7.
• In Illinois, adults with bipolar disorder spent a total of 142,370 days in the hospital in 2014. 
• In 2014, the length of stay in the hospital for bipolar disorders in elderly patients was longer than younger adults with the same diagnosis. Adults aged 18 to 64 stayed for about 7.7 days, while elders aged over 65 stayed for 11.2 days. 

North Carolina 

• According to North Carolina’s Annual Statistics and Admission Report around 8.2% of those served in LME/MCO care programs were diagnosed with bipolar disorder between 2021 and 2022. This makes up around 24,549 individuals. 
• Between 2021 and 2022, patients with bipolar disorder made up 6.5% of all those admitted in North Carolina care programs.

New York 

• According to the 2024 State of Mental Health of New Yorkers Report, around 3% of adult New York residents have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, mania, or manic depression. This represents 181,000 people. 
• In 2021, women in New York had a slightly higher rate of psychiatric hospitalizations for bipolar disorder, with 88 admissions per 100,000 adults, compared to 78 admissions per 100,000 for men. 

• According to the USC Schaeffer Cost of Mental Illness Report, about 1.6 million adults in New York experienced a serious mental illness in the past 12 months in 2015, with 405,148 of these individuals being affected by bipolar disorder. 
• In 2014, approximately 25,808 adult New Yorkers were hospitalized due to bipolar disorder. That year, New York’s bipolar-related hospitalization rate was 6.4 per 100 patients, significantly higher than the national rate of 4.4 per 100 patients. 
• In 2015, bipolar disorder cost the state of New York an estimated $8.47 billion in direct and indirect costs. 

Economic Cost of Bipolar Disorder in the U.S.

• According to a study published in the Annals of General Psychiatry, adults with bipolar disorder incurred annualized direct healthcare costs of $20,846 in 2020, which is significantly higher than the $11,391 for adults in the general American population.
• According to a 2020 study published in ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research, bipolar disorder costs the U.S. economy roughly $195 billion annually. Around 25% of this total is linked to direct healthcare expenses, while the majority—72% to 80%—is due to indirect factors like job loss and decreased productivity.
• A 2015 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that the annual cost of bipolar I disorder in the U.S. was approximately $219.1 billion, with an average per-person cost of $88,443.

• In 2018, bipolar disorder cost the United States at least $151 billion in total costs, including $123.6 million in hospitalization costs, according to the USC Schaeffer’s Cost of Mental Illness 2019 report. 
• In 2018, nearly 84% of the total economic burden of bipolar disorder came from lost productivity. Medical expenses accounted for just 12%, and the remaining costs were attributed to areas like law enforcement, incarceration, and shelters.

Bipolar Disorder and Suicide Risk

According to a 2010 study published in the journal Bipolar Disorders:

• As many as 25% to 60% of people with bipolar disorder will make at least 1 suicide attempt during their lifetime, with 4% to 19% eventually dying by suicide.
• The likelihood of suicide among those with bipolar disorder is dramatically higher than the general U.S. population, with their risk being 10 to 30 times greater.
• Bipolar disorder is estimated to account for roughly 3% to 14% of all suicide deaths in the United States each year.
• In the past year, nearly 43% of individuals with bipolar disorder reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, compared to only 9.2% in the general population.

Gender and Bipolar Disorder 

• The National Comorbidity Survey Replication reported that between 2001 and 2003, the prevalence of bipolar disorder was similar among genders—with a rate of 2.9% for males and 2.8% for females. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Common Is Bipolar in American Teens?

Around 1% to 5% of teenagers in America will develop bipolar disorder by the time they are 18. 

Is Bipolar Disorder More Common Than Schizophrenia in America?

Yes, bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.6% of the U.S. population, while schizophrenia is a rare disorder, affecting less than 1% of the population. Learn more about schizophrenia in our article on Schizophrenia Statistics in the United States.

Do People With Bipolar Face Higher Suicide Risk in the U.S.?

People with bipolar disorder face a significantly higher risk of suicide, especially when they aren’t receiving regular treatment or support. Studies suggest that individuals with bipolar disorder in the U.S. are 10 to 30 times more likely to die by suicide compared to those without the condition.