Behavioral Addiction Statistics

How Many People in the U.S. Have a Behavioral Addiction?

Unfortunately, the total number of people with a behavioral addiction (process addiction) in the U.S. is unknown. At this time, behavioral addictions are not medically recognized as health conditions in need of treatment.

To be clear, the only behavioral addiction that meets the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is gambling disorder.

However, behavioral addictions are being seen more in mental health treatment centers across the U.S., highlighting the need for further research, medical recognition, and formal treatment options.

Behavioral Addiction Statistics Worldwide

While statistics on behavioral addictive disorders are not available solely for the U.S., a few studies have been conducted on the rise of behavioral addictions worldwide.

One study of behavioral addictions during the COVID-19 era looked at 94 studies with more than 237,000 participants from 40 different countries over a span of nearly 3 years. It found that the global rate of behavioral addictions is 11.1%.

The study found the following rates of behavioral addiction on a global level:

• Gaming addiction: 3%
• Exercise addiction: 7%
• Gambling addiction: 2%
• Shopping addiction: 2%
• Sex addiction: 4%
• Internet addiction: 6%
• Social media addiction: 1%
• Food addiction: 21%
• Smartphone addiction: 7%

Statistics on Different Types of Behavioral Addiction

Statistics on specific types of behavioral addictions are not as readily available, likely because the medical community doesn’t commonly recognize these health conditions.

However, here is what you should know about statistics on common behavioral addictions.

Exercise Addiction

Exercise addiction is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme training, loss of control over exercising or training, and life consequences as a result.

In a US-based Healthy Minds Survey of 8,251 participants from 2016 to 2020, 11% of men and 17% of women self-reported compulsive exercise.

The overall prevalence of exercise addiction is 6.2%.

Food Addiction

One study of surveys from an Eating Behaviors Questionnaire showed that 11.4% of all participants self-reported a food addiction.

People with a food addiction have a hard time controlling their behaviors around food. They may struggle to stop eating highly tasty foods or foods high in sugar, fats, or salt.

Food addiction can lead to a tolerance similar to substance addictions. In other words, with time, people may not feel satisfied no matter how much they eat.

Surveys on food addiction also look at addiction rates by weight:

• Underweight: 10%
• Normal weight:3%
• Overweight: 14%
• Obese: 5%

A newer behavioral addiction, data on food addiction is fairly recent. It’s worth noting that food addiction differs from eating disorders, which often center around issues of body image, self-image, and control.

Gambling Disorder

Gambling addiction, or gambling disorder, affects about 2.5 million adults each year in the U.S. That’s about 1% of the American population.

However, addiction rates are not the only data available for gambling disorders. Since this behavioral addiction has been around for many years, national data also tracks problem gambling.

People with problem gambling may have issues with gambling behaviors but may not meet the full criteria for an addiction. About 5 to 8 million adults are estimated to have mild to moderate gambling problems.

Internet Addiction

Internet addiction involves problematic behaviors with the internet, feeling withdrawal symptoms when not using it, and continuing to use the internet even with negative side effects.

Though the internet has only been around for a few decades, internet use and addiction rates rose quickly. Rates peaked particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rates of internet addiction range from .3% to 6% of the U.S. adult population. The rates vary so widely likely because of the many different methods used to measure data across different studies.

The international rate for internet addiction ranges from 1.5% to 8.2%.

Phone Addiction

The most recent study in 2023 showed that nearly 57% of U.S. adults reported a phone addiction.

Many people are self-aware of problem phone use, and Americans spend an average of more than 4.5 hours on their phones daily.

Phone addiction affects both adults and adolescents, with about 50% of teens self-reporting addiction.

Pornography Addiction

Porn addiction involves compulsive behaviors surrounding porn use. About 7% of people who use internet porn self-report an addiction to it.

Addiction to porn can have various complications, including distorted views of sex, encouraging intimate partner violence, and straining relationships.

It’s not a problem that’s specific to one group, either. Approximately 11% of men and 3% of women have a pornography addiction.

Sex Addiction

People battling a sex addiction have trouble controlling their thoughts, urges, and desires tied to sexual behaviors. A sexual addiction can cause troubles with relationships, strain at work and on finances, and damage various aspects of your life and overall well-being.

Also called hypersexuality, sex addiction may affect about 3% to 10% of the U.S. population. It typically starts at about age 18, but most people don’t seek help until they are in their late thirties.

People with this disorder may also have various co-occurring mental health and behavioral health conditions.

Some of these include anxiety disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and substance use disorders.

Shopping Addiction

Shopping addiction involves impulse control issues and compulsive buying behaviors. At first, these behaviors may serve as a way to cope or self-medicate negative feelings from stress, mental health disorders like anxiety disorders, or to avoid certain situations.

One report that assessed multiple studies showed a 5% shopping addiction rate among more than 10,000 participants.

Being addicted to shopping is more of a risk in young female people as well as in college students in general.

Social Media Addiction

People can become addicted to social media quickly, especially with its prevalent use in everyday life.

Research shows that younger people are more prone to social media addiction. In fact, 40% of internet users aged 18 to 22 showed a social media addiction in 2019.

Overall, 5% of respondents from all age groups from the same survey listed above self-reported social media addiction.

Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction, or simply gaming addiction, is a relatively newer addiction that is showing higher rates among a specific population: young gamers.

This addiction is characterized by impairment to your life due to loss of control over gaming behaviors, including experiencing cravings when not gaming, losing track of time or ignoring responsibilities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that, while gaming addiction is not a direct public health threat, it has a high rate among young people who game.

About 15% of young American gamers may be addicted to gaming. And 90% of American children and adolescents play computer games, putting them at risk for internet gaming disorder with frequent use.

Work Addiction

Work addiction has been recognized since the 1970s, though it is still not a recognized mental or behavioral disorder in psychiatry.

The rates of work addiction have been widely studied worldwide, and one systematic review showed that up to one-third of all workers may have a work addiction.

In the U.S., about 5% to 10% of adult employees ranging from young adults to retirement age may have a work addiction.

Behavioral Addiction by Demographic

Looking at different demographics, or groups of people with certain similar characteristics, can help researchers and health professionals understand who process addictions affect most.

These numbers can also highlight which groups are at the highest risk for developing these addictions and the health problems that may go hand in hand with them.

Here’s what to know about behavioral addictions by different demographics: 

• Gender: Men tend to be gamblers more often than women, just as men engage in substance abuse more than women. However, in recent years, these gaps have closed. Treatment, prevalence, and behaviors also vary widely among men and women across different process addictions.
• Age: All ages are affected by process addictions, from children to older adults. However, different behavioral addictions affect different age groups. For example, gambling addiction affects adults more, likely because gambling is only legal for adults. In contrast, video gaming affects youth more.
• Race/ethnicity: There is very little information on different races and ethnicities and behavioral addictions. Most addiction statistics by race cover alcohol abuse/alcohol use disorder and drug addiction. However, these rates show that Black and Hispanic people are less likely to receive treatment for substance-related addictions due to disparities in healthcare and socioeconomic factors.
• Socioeconomic factors: Again, there is little direct data on socioeconomic factors and behavioral addictions, but there is available data on how social status affects a person’s risk for addiction. That is, lower subjective social status often correlates to higher risk factors for addiction.

Statistics on Effects of Behavioral Addictions

All behavioral addictions can lead to negative consequences for a person’s mental, physical, and emotional health.

Complications of process addictions can include:

• Comorbidity or developing co-occurring conditions such as mental health disorders, addiction, or other behavioral health issues
• Excessive fatigue when a person tries to stop or cut back on the behavior
• Strain on relationships due to compulsive behaviors
• Financial strain due to excessive spending

Find Support for a Behavioral Addiction

Behavioral disorders are real, and they can complicate your life, but you don’t have to face them alone.

You can use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) online treatment locator to find outpatient program providers or telehealth options.