Ireland Among 10 Most-Stressed Countries In Europe, Says Study

Ireland has been ranked among the ten most-stressed countries in Europe by a new study.

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Greece has been ranked the most stressful country in Europe.

The study, carried out by CBD company CBDolie.nl, examined European countries (with the exception of Ukraine and Russia, which, the company noted, were omitted due to the ongoing conflict between them) within 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: percentage of respondents who said that they experienced this feeling frequently.
• Reports of sadness levels: percentage of respondents who said that they experienced this feeling frequently.
• Reports of enjoyment levels: percentage of respondents who said that 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 – 71.8 out of 100. Greece topped the list after scoring high for reports of stress and depression prevalence. It 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.

Türkiye ranks as the second most-stressed country in Europe. Türkiye was listed highest in Europe for reports of high stress levels, with 64% of residents citing feeling stressed frequently. Türkiye also ranked highest in Europe for frequent feelings of sadness, with 49% of respondents reporting feeling this way often. Türkiye also has the joint-highest number of weekly hours worked, at 42.8, tied with Montenegro. Overall, these factors contributed to Türkiye’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%, with respondents reporting frequent feelings of depression, in addition to having the highest rates of anxiety, with 9.08% of residents reporting frequent feelings thereof, 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 such. Overall, Malta receives a stress score of 51.4 out of 100. Cyprus reports slightly higher levels of frequent anxiety (7.22%), however, it 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.

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 – with low feelings of frequent stress, with 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 [the] 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.”

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