Between 2% and 6% of the general population meets criteria for hoarding disorder, according to the current research. The commonly cited midpoint is around 2.5-3%. This applies broadly across the UK, US, Europe and other developed societies. Understanding what these percentages mean, and what they miss, helps put the condition in context.

The core figure

Multiple independent studies over the past 15 years have produced prevalence estimates in the 2-6% range. Well-conducted UK, US and European studies converge on around 2.5-3% of the adult population meeting full DSM-5 criteria for hoarding disorder.

Bedroom with restricted access due to hoarded belongings

For the UK adult population of around 55 million, this equates to approximately 1.4-1.7 million people. For the global adult population of around 5.5 billion, the figure runs into the hundreds of millions.

Why the range is wide

The 2-6% range reflects genuine methodological differences between studies, not radically different populations.

Diagnostic threshold: some studies use strict DSM-5 criteria; others use symptom scales.
Recruitment method: population-based studies produce higher rates than clinic-based ones.
Self-report versus observer rating: self-report tends to undercount because of shame; observer rating tends to overcount because it captures milder cases.
Age range: studies of older adults produce higher rates.
Recency: awareness has increased since 2013, so recent studies capture cases that older ones would have missed.

Taking the range as a whole, 2-6% is a defensible statement of the current evidence.

Age-specific percentages

Prevalence rises with age. Age-specific figures:

18-30 years: 1-2% meet criteria.
30-50 years: 2-3%.
50-70 years: 3-5%.
70+ years: 5-6% or higher.

By age 75+, some studies suggest as many as 7-8% of adults meet criteria. The rise partly reflects cumulative accumulation and partly reflects late-life triggers (bereavement, retirement, cognitive changes).

What the percentages miss

Prevalence figures based on formal diagnostic criteria miss several important groups.

Sub-threshold cases — people whose accumulation is significant but does not meet full criteria. Estimated at another 3-5% of the population.
People who deny or hide the condition — clinical estimates suggest that only a fraction of true cases reach clinical attention.
People whose hoarding is a symptom of another condition — dementia-related hoarding in older adults, for example, may not be counted as hoarding disorder in the strict sense but presents similarly.
People with early-stage hoarding tendencies who will develop the full condition later.

Adding these groups, some experts estimate that 10-15% of the population has some level of clinically relevant difficulty with acquiring and discarding possessions.

By comparison

To put the numbers in context, here is how hoarding compares to other conditions:

Depression (major): around 5-10% at any given time.
Generalised anxiety disorder: around 3-5%.
OCD: around 1-2%.
Bipolar disorder: around 1%.
Schizophrenia: less than 1%.

Hoarding sits alongside depression and anxiety in prevalence — much more common than the conditions like OCD it was historically grouped with.

Regional variation within the UK

There is little evidence of large regional variation in prevalence within the UK, though presentation and help-seeking differ. Urban areas produce more visible cases (higher-density housing, more shared-building issues) but rural cases can be equally severe and more hidden.

International comparison

Prevalence studies from other countries produce broadly similar figures:

United States: 2-6%, most studies around 2-3%.
Germany: 4-5% in general population studies.
Sweden: 2-3%.
Australia: 2-6%.
China and Japan: emerging studies suggest similar prevalence with different presentation patterns.

The condition appears to be universal. Cultural differences affect what gets accumulated and how families respond, but not the underlying prevalence.

Sex ratios

Studies typically show roughly equal prevalence between men and women, though some studies find slight male excess. Presentation and help-seeking differ:

Men are more likely to be reached through housing, environmental health or emergency services.
Women are more likely to reach clinical attention through their own or family help-seeking.
Men are more likely to hoard tools, papers, electronics and machinery.
Women are more likely to hoard clothing, sentimental items and household goods.
Animal hoarding shows a female excess in most studies.

Prevalence in specific populations

Certain populations show higher prevalence:

Older adults — reaching 5-8% in the 70+ group.
People with certain co-occurring conditions — OCD (around 20-30% show hoarding features), ADHD (higher rates in both directions), depression (co-occurrence common).
First-degree relatives of hoarders — approximately three times general population risk due to genetic and environmental factors.
People in the aftermath of trauma or major loss — temporarily elevated rates.

The takeaway percentage

If you need to remember one figure: around 2.5-3% of adults meet full criteria for hoarding disorder at any given time, with the true figure including sub-threshold cases probably closer to 5-10%. This makes hoarding one of the more common mental health conditions, comparable to depression and anxiety in scale.

What the percentages mean for services

At 2.5-3% of adults, hoarding disorder affects around 1.5 million UK adults at any time. Fewer than 10% of these are likely receiving specialist mental health support for the condition. Services designed for this scale of need would look very different from what currently exists.

Better recognition, better training for GPs and social workers, wider access to hoarding-specific CBT, and better coordination between mental health, housing, environmental health and fire services would all follow from taking the true prevalence seriously.

What the percentages mean for individuals

For anyone worrying about their own accumulation, or about a family member's, the percentage is a useful reality check. This is not a rare oddity affecting only a handful of extreme cases. It is a common condition affecting millions of people, with recognised diagnostic criteria, evidence-based treatment and growing professional support.

If 2-6% of the population is affected, then almost every family has some experience of it, most workplaces include people who live with it, and no one who has it is alone. The shame that surrounds hoarding is disproportionate to a condition that is genuinely common. Talking about it more openly starts by taking the prevalence seriously.

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