Burnout Statistics (2026): 76 Sourced Figures

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This page collects figures on burnout and work-related stress. It covers workers in general, health workers, physicians, nurses and teachers. Every number links to the document that first published it. The definition comes from the World Health Organization (WHO). Health worker figures come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and peer-reviewed studies. Workforce figures come from the American Psychological Association (APA), Gallup, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). Figures on mental illness in the general population are on the mental health statistics page. For a comparison of the survey and feedback tools that employers use to track engagement and wellbeing, see the StatWharf comparison of employee engagement software.

Key figures at a glance

What burnout is

The WHO added a fuller definition of burn-out to the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in May 2019. ICD-11 classes it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. The definition reads: “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It has three dimensions: energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from or cynicism about one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. The WHO states that the term refers only to the occupational context.

Most surveys on this page do not use that clinical definition. The AMA and the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study count physicians with at least one symptom of burnout on standard scales. The CDC asks how often workers felt burnout. Gallup asks about stress felt the previous day. The HSE counts self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Each measure is labeled below.

The WHO’s mental health at work fact sheet gives the global cost of poor mental health at work:

• An estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety, per the WHO (2026).
• Depression and anxiety cost the world economy an estimated US$1 trillion per year in lost productivity, per the WHO (2026).
• 16% of working-age adults were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2023, per the WHO (2026).

Burnout among US health workers (CDC)

The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) compared health workers with other workers using the General Social Survey Quality of Worklife module. The 2018 survey had 1,443 respondents, including 226 health workers. The 2022 survey had 1,952 respondents, including 325 health workers. Results were published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on November 3, 2023 (Nigam and others, vol. 72, no. 44).

• 45.6% of US health workers reported feeling burnout often or very often in 2022, per the CDC (2023).
• The share of US health workers who felt burnout very often rose from 11.6% in 2018 to 19.0% in 2022, per the CDC (2023).
• US health workers reported an average of 4.5 poor mental health days in the past 30 days in 2022, up from 3.3 in 2018, per the CDC (2023).
• Reports of harassment at work among US health workers more than doubled, from 6.4% in 2018 to 13.4% in 2022, per the CDC (2023).
• The share of US health workers very likely to look for a new job with another employer rose from 11.1% to 16.5% between 2018 and 2022, per the CDC (2023).
• US health workers who were harassed at work had 5.83 times the odds of burnout in 2022, per the CDC (2023).
• US health workers who had help from their supervisor had lower odds of burnout, with an odds ratio of 0.26, per the CDC (2023).
• US health workers who trusted management had lower odds of burnout, with an odds ratio of 0.40, per the CDC (2023).

Physician burnout

Long-run trend (Mayo Clinic Proceedings)

Shanafelt and colleagues surveyed US physicians and a probability-based sample of US workers between October 19, 2023 and March 3, 2024, with 7,643 physician participants. The study was published online in Mayo Clinic Proceedings on April 9, 2025 (vol. 100, no. 7). It repeats surveys run in 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2021.

• 45.2% of US physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2023, per Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2025).
• Physician burnout peaked at 62.8% in 2021, per Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2025).
• US physicians had 1.82 times the odds of burnout of other US workers in 2023, after adjustment, per Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2025).
• 42.2% of US physicians were satisfied with their work-life integration in 2023, up from 30.3% in 2021, per Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2025).

Annual AMA benchmark

The AMA’s national physician comparison report draws on its Organizational Biopsy survey. The 2025 edition, released on April 16, 2026, is based on nearly 19,000 physician responses across 38 states and 106 health systems. It uses a different sample from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings study, so the two series are not combined here.

• 41.9% of US physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2025, per the AMA (2026).
• AMA-measured physician burnout fell from 48.2% in 2023 to 43.2% in 2024, per the AMA (2026).
• 42.9% of US physicians felt a great deal of stress because of their job in 2025, down from 45.1% in 2024, per the AMA (2026).
• Physician job satisfaction was 77% in 2025, against 76.5% in 2024, per the AMA (2026).
• 56.2% of US physicians said they felt valued by their organization in 2025, per the AMA (2026).
• 53.3% of female physicians felt valued by their organization in 2025, compared with 59.6% of male physicians, per the AMA (2026).

Burnout by specialty (AMA, 2025)

• Emergency medicine had the highest physician burnout rate of any specialty, at 49.8% in 2025, per the AMA (2026).
• Infectious diseases had the lowest physician burnout rate, at 23.3% in 2025, per the AMA (2026).
• Obstetrics and gynecology reported the most job stress of any specialty grouping, at 48.7% in 2025, per the AMA (2026).

Nurse burnout

NCSBN National Nursing Workforce Study

NCSBN released its 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study on April 17, 2025.

• 39.9% of US registered nurses reported an intent to leave the workforce or retire within five years, per NCSBN (2025).
• 41.3% of US licensed practical and vocational nurses reported an intent to leave the workforce or retire within five years, per NCSBN (2025).
• About 41.5% of nurses who plan to leave for reasons other than retirement named stress and burnout as the root cause, per NCSBN (2025).
• More than 138,000 nurses left the US workforce between 2022 and the 2024 study, per NCSBN (2025).
• Nurse workloads decreased by 20–25% since 2022, though burnout remains a critical challenge, per NCSBN (2025).

Nurses who left because of burnout (JAMA Network Open)

Shah and colleagues analyzed the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, with 50,273 respondents representing 3,957,661 US nurses. The study was published in JAMA Network Open in February 2021. It describes job leaving in 2017.

• 31.5% of US nurses who left their job in 2017 named burnout as a reason, per JAMA Network Open (2021).
• Nurses who worked more than 40 hours a week had 3.28 times the odds of naming burnout as a reason they left, compared with those working under 20 hours, per JAMA Network Open (2021).
• 68.6% of nurses who left a job because of burnout reported a stressful work environment, per JAMA Network Open (2021).
• 63.0% of nurses who left a job because of burnout reported inadequate staffing, per JAMA Network Open (2021).

Teacher stress and burnout (RAND)

RAND’s State of the American Teacher survey compares K–12 public school teachers with similar working adults from the American Life Panel. The 2026 results were released on June 8, 2026. RAND reports that teachers were also more likely than other working adults to report burnout, but the release does not give a 2026 burnout percentage.

• 55% of US K–12 public school teachers experienced frequent job-related stress in 2026, compared with 34% of similar working adults, per RAND (2026).
• Frequent job-related stress among US teachers fell from 62% in 2025 to 55% in 2026, per RAND (2026).
• 59% of female teachers reported frequent job-related stress in 2026, compared with 44% of male teachers, per RAND (2026).
• Managing student behavior was the most cited source of teacher stress, named by 52% of teachers, per RAND (2026).
• 18% of US teachers said they were likely to leave their current job by the end of the 2025–26 school year, per RAND (2026).
• Only 23% of US teachers planned to remain in teaching as long as they were able, per RAND (2026).

US workers (APA Work in America)

The Harris Poll runs the Work in America survey for the APA each spring. The 2024 survey covered 2,027 employed adults from March 25 to April 3, 2024. The 2025 survey covered 2,017 employed adults from March 26 to April 4, 2025.

2024 survey

• 67% of US workers reported at least one outcome often associated with burnout in the past month, such as low energy, loneliness or lack of effort, per the APA (2024).
• 43% of US workers said they typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday, per the APA (2024).
• 61% of US workers with lower psychological safety at work said they typically feel tense or stressed during the workday, per the APA (2024).
• 51% of US workers aged 26 to 43 typically feel tense or stressed out during the workday, compared with 17% of workers aged 65 and older, per the APA (2024).
• 45% of US workers aged 18 to 25 said they feel lonely when they are working, per the APA (2024).
• 15% of US workers described their workplace as somewhat or very toxic, per the APA (2024).
• 45% of US workers said they have to work more hours per week than they want to, per the APA (2024).
• 33% of US workers said they lack enough flexibility at work to keep work and personal life in balance, per the APA (2024).
• 59% of US workers said their employer thinks their work environment is a lot mentally healthier than it actually is, per the APA (2024).
• 39% of US workers worry that telling their employer about a mental health condition would have a negative impact on them, per the APA (2024).

2025 survey

• Job insecurity has a significant impact on the stress levels of 54% of US workers, per the APA (2025).
• 44% of US workers were concerned that an economic downturn would cost them their job in the next 12 months, up from 36% in 2024, per the APA (2025).
• 65% of US workers said their organization had been affected by recent government policy changes, per the APA (2025).
• Only 10% of US workers satisfied with their relationship with their manager described their work experience as toxic, compared with 55% of those who were unsatisfied, per the APA (2025).

Daily stress worldwide (Gallup)

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report covers employees in more than 140 countries and areas. Stress is measured as the share of employees who experienced a lot of stress during much of the previous day.

• 40% of employees worldwide experienced a lot of stress the previous day in 2025, per Gallup (2026).
• Global daily stress among employees peaked at 44% in 2021 and 2022, per Gallup (2026).
• Employees in the United States and Canada reported the highest daily stress of any region, at 50% in 2025, per Gallup (2026).
• 43% of female employees worldwide experienced a lot of daily stress in 2025, compared with 39% of male employees, per Gallup (2026).
• 45% of managers worldwide experienced a lot of daily stress in 2025, compared with 39% of individual contributors, per Gallup (2026).
• 46% of hybrid employees worldwide experienced a lot of daily stress in 2025, compared with 41% of fully remote employees, per Gallup (2026).
• 46% of leaders worldwide reported a lot of stress the previous day, per Gallup (2026).
• Only 34% of employees worldwide were thriving in their overall life in 2025, per Gallup (2026).

Work-related stress in Great Britain (HSE)

The HSE publishes work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics each year from the Labour Force Survey. The 2025 edition was published on November 20, 2025, with data to March 2025. The HSE defines work-related stress as “a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work.”

• 964,000 workers in Great Britain suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).
• That is a prevalence rate of 2,770 per 100,000 workers, statistically significantly higher than the year before, per the HSE (2025).
• There were 409,000 new cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain in 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).
• Work-related stress, depression or anxiety caused 22.1 million lost working days in Great Britain in 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).
• Each case cost an average of 22.9 working days in 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).
• Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 52% of all work-related ill health and 62% of working days lost to work-related ill health in Great Britain in 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).
• Female workers had a rate of 3,220 per 100,000, significantly higher than the 1,980 per 100,000 for male workers, averaged over 2022/23 to 2024/25, per the HSE (2025).

The HSE names workload as the main cause: tight deadlines, too much work, and too much pressure or responsibility. Lack of managerial support, violence and bullying, organizational change and role uncertainty follow.

European Union (EU-OSHA)

• Nearly half (45%) of workers in the EU face risks for their mental health at work, per EU-OSHA (2026).

EU-OSHA cited the figure at the October 13, 2026 launch of its Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2026–28 on mental health at work.

Method

• Data window. Figures date from 2021 to October 2026. The page prefers the latest release of each series. The JAMA Network Open nurse study (2018 survey data) and the CDC comparison (2018 and 2022) are the most recent national studies of their kind found at the check date.
• Primary sources only. Each figure links to the body that first published it: the WHO, the CDC, the AMA, NCSBN, RAND, the APA, Gallup, the HSE, EU-OSHA, and peer-reviewed articles in Mayo Clinic Proceedings and JAMA Network Open. Peer-reviewed figures link to the PubMed abstract, which states them. Statistics aggregators, roundups and vendor blogs that re-quote figures were not used.
• Checks. StatWharf Editorial opened each source in November 2026 and checked that the figure and its date appear there. APA’s site blocks automated requests, so its two reports were read from Internet Archive copies of the same URLs. Figures without a reachable primary source were left out. These include the US Surgeon General’s 2022 advisory on health worker burnout, whose page returned an access error. They also include an EU-OSHA OSH Pulse 2025 figure of 29% for stress, depression or anxiety, which was not readable on the reachable EU-OSHA pages. A widely repeated claim that 44% of US workers are burned out “often or always”, attributed to the APA’s 2025 survey, does not appear in the APA report and was left out.
• No modeling. The page reports published figures only. No value is estimated by StatWharf. The CDC does not publish a combined “often or very often” figure for 2018, so none is given here.
• Measures differ. The AMA and Mayo Clinic Proceedings count physicians with at least one burnout symptom, from different samples. The CDC asks how often workers felt burnout. Gallup measures stress felt the previous day. The HSE counts self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety. Comparisons are valid within one source, not across sources.
• Overlap. Engagement and quit figures are on the employee engagement statistics page. UK sickness absence figures are on the HR statistics page. Anxiety and depression prevalence figures are on the anxiety statistics and depression statistics pages. They are not repeated here.

Using these figures

Physician burnout in the US has fallen for four straight years in AMA data, to 41.9% in 2025, but emergency medicine remains near half. Among health workers in general, the CDC found 45.6% felt burnout often or very often in 2022. Supervisor help and trust in management were tied to much lower odds of burnout. Stress and burnout are the leading reason nurses give for leaving before retirement. Teachers still report far more job stress than similar workers. Across all workers, Gallup puts daily stress at 40% worldwide and 50% in the United States and Canada. Employers that measure engagement and wellbeing through pulse surveys can compare the main tools in the StatWharf comparison of employee engagement software. Other StatWharf data pages are listed in the research directory. Send corrections to any figure to the editorial address below.

Factual corrections are free: editorial@statwharf.com.