Analysis reveals that Greece is the most stressful country in Europe to live in. The study, carried out by CBD experts CBDolie.nl examined European countries on the following categories to discover the continent’s most stressed countries:
- Depression prevalence – estimated share of the population who had depressive disorders in the past year, whether or not they were diagnosed.
- Anxiety prevalence – estimated share of the population who had anxiety disorders in the past year, whether or not they were diagnosed.
- Reports of stress levels – % of respondents who said they experienced this feeling frequently.
- Reports of sadness levels – % of respondents who said they experienced this feeling frequently.
- Reports of enjoyment levels – % of respondents who said they have not experienced this feeling frequently.
- Average weekly hours worked – average number of actual weekly hours worked per week for ages 15-64.
Each factor was then included in an index to create an overall ‘Stress Score’ out of 100.
The study reveals that Greece is the most stressed country in Europe, totalling the highest Stress Score of 71.8 out of 100. Greece topped the list after scoring high for both reports of stress and depression prevalence. Greece has a depression prevalence of 6.52%, the highest rate in Europe as well as 57% of respondents reporting frequent stress, the second highest rate of all European countries.
Turkey ranks as the second most-stressed country in Europe. Turkey was listed highest in Europe for reports of high stress levels, with 64% of residents citing feeling stressed frequently. Turkey also ranked highest in Europe for frequent feelings of sadness with 49% of respondents reporting feeling this way often. Turkey also has the joint highest number of weekly hours worked at 42.8, tied with Montenegro. Overall, these factors contributed to Turkey’s status as the second most stressed country in Europe with a total Stress Score of 71.2 out of 100, just slightly lower than Greece.
Portugal places as the third most stressed country in Europe. The Iberian nation has the third highest rate of depression in Europe at 5.88% of respondents reporting frequent feelings of depression, in addition to having the highest rates of anxiety with 9.08% of residents reporting frequent feelings of anxiety, making Portugal the third most stressed European country with a Stress Score of 68.4 out of 100.
Malta and Cyprus rank fourth and fifth respectively. Malta, ranked highly due to high-levels of weekly working hours (37.9) and prominent levels of frequent feelings of anxiety with 6.97% of respondents reporting as such. Overall, Malta receives a Stress Score of 51.4 out of 100. Cyprus reports slightly higher levels of frequent anxiety (7.22%) however, ranks lower than Malta for frequent feelings of sadness – 22% compared to Malta’s 25%, and on average works 0.2 less hours than Malta at 37.7, giving Cyprus a Stress Score of 50.4 out of 100.
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By GlobalData| Most stressed ranking | Country | Total Stress Score (out of 100) |
| 1 | Greece | 71.8 |
| 2 | Turkey | 71.2 |
| 3 | Portugal | 68.4 |
| 4 | Malta | 51.4 |
| 5 | Cyprus | 50.4 |
| 6 | Ireland | 49.2 |
| 7 | Spain | 48.6 |
| 8 | Italy | 46.7 |
| 9 | France | 44.6 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 41.7 |
In contrast, Denmark ranks as the least stressed country in Europe with a Stress Score of 21.7 out of 100. When broken down, only 12% of respondents claimed to often feel little enjoyment and pleasure, the second lowest behind Iceland, low feelings of frequent stress at just 21% of respondents citing this and only 5.43% of respondents feeling anxious frequently.
Commenting on the study, a spokesperson for CBDolie.nl said: “The past five years have provided a constant source of uncertainty for many due to increased cost-of-living, the pandemic and more, so it’s no surprise to see that stress levels across Europe are so high.
“This list highlights that all around the continent people live in varying situations regarding their lifestyles, yet clearly some countries are more likely to result in their residents having sleepless nights due to stress.
“Stress can be reduced in numerous ways, ranging from small changes in lifestyle to consultations with medical professionals, however these findings offer a fascinating insight into the geographical disparity in Europe when it comes to feelings of worry and stress.”
