The number of people suffering from depression or bipolar disorders in Korea has surged, with cases of each of the conditions growing more than 45 percent over the past six years.

According to government data disclosed on Thursday by the office of Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party, the number of people diagnosed with depression rose from 752,976 in 2018 to 1,106,744 in 2024, a 47 percent increase.

Meanwhile, treatment costs for the mental condition nearly doubled to exceed 761.5 billion won ($535 million), data from the National Health Insurance Service showed.

Cases of bipolar disorder also increased rapidly, with patients rising 45.7 percent to nearly 140,000 during the same period. Treatment costs for bipolar disorder surged 57 percent to about 182.3 billion won.

Combined, annual health care spending for these two mental conditions nearly hit 1 trillion won ― a concerning trend underscoring Korea’s worsening mental health problem.

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety and hopelessness. Bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood levels.

Young Koreans have been especially affected. The number of depression patients under the age of 10 more than doubled from 967 in 2018 to 2,162 last year ― the highest growth rate among all age groups. Those under 40 now account for 41.7 percent of all depression cases.

Bipolar disorder also increased sharply among youth, with children under 10 experiencing a 4.3-fold rise during the seven-year period.

By gender, 67.2 percent of depression patients and 62.4 percent of bipolar disorder patients last year were women.

“Depression and bipolar disorder are not simply individual illnesses; rather, these conditions are pathological phenomena rooted in the structure of Korean society,” the lawmaker said. “The government must step up with early intervention and increased funding, especially as mental health issues rise particularly among young people and women.”

Korea’s suicide rate, a risk factor strongly associated with depression and bipolar disorder, is highest among member states of the OECD. Last month, the government announced its plan to lower the suicide rate from 28.3 per 100,000 people in 2024 to 17 by 2034, below Lithuania’s rate of 17.1, the second-highest in the club.