Postnatal Depression Statistics UK: 2026 Facts, Data & Key Insights

Postnatal depression is far more common than many people realise — and far more serious than popular understanding suggests. It affects not just the mother, but her baby, partner, and family. It is associated with impaired bonding, developmental impacts on infants, maternal suicide, and lasting psychiatric consequences if left untreated. Yet despite its prevalence, nearly half of all affected mothers are never diagnosed by a health professional. This guide brings together data from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, MBRRACE-UK, the ONS, and perinatal mental health research to provide the most comprehensive UK postnatal depression statistics available.

Key Facts

10–15% of mothers experience postnatal depression following childbirth (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
Based on 567,708 live births in England in 2024, up to 85,000 mothers may have experienced PND in 2024 alone (RCPsych, July 2025)
Perinatal mental illness — encompassing all mental health problems during pregnancy and the first postpartum year — affects around 20% of women in the perinatal period
Maternal suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among women between six weeks and one year after birth
Perinatal mental illness accounts for 34% of all deaths in this group (MBRRACE-UK, 2024)
Nearly half of all mothers experiencing PND are not diagnosed by a health professional
Almost two-thirds (64%) of Integrated Care Boards in England planned real-terms cuts to perinatal mental health service funding in 2024–25 (RCPsych)
PND prevalence increased from 10.3% in 2014 to 23.9% in 2020 — with the pandemic driving a sharp rise
25% of new fathers experience depressive symptoms in the first year after birth (NCT); 10–12% receive a diagnosis of depression
Untreated prenatal mental illness increases the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in infants
The share of NHS funding allocated to mental health is projected to fall between 2024/25 and 2025/26 — see our NHS mental health statistics guide
With appropriate treatment and support, up to 80% of individuals with PND achieve a full recovery

How Common Is Postnatal Depression?

The Royal College of Psychiatrists uses a consistent estimate that between 10% and 15% of mothers experience postnatal depression following childbirth. Applied to the 567,708 live births recorded in England in 2024 by the ONS, this means that in that year alone, between 56,771 and 85,156 mothers may have experienced PND — the RCPsych uses the upper figure of up to 85,000 in its 2025 communications.

However, these figures almost certainly understate the true burden, for two reasons. First, PND is under-diagnosed: nearly half of all affected mothers are never diagnosed by a health professional. Second, the 10–15% figure relates specifically to PND meeting clinical criteria — the broader category of perinatal mental illness, which includes anxiety disorders, OCD, psychosis, and birth-related PTSD, affects a considerably larger proportion.

Perinatal mental illness affects around 20% of women in the perinatal period — spanning pregnancy and the first year after birth. This broader framing captures the full range of conditions that emerge in this period, and research published in the Lancet Regional Health in 2025 has begun to examine mental illness persisting into the second postpartum year — a population previously outside the scope of specialist services.

The Trend: Rising Rates and Pandemic Impact

Postnatal depression has been rising in the UK for over a decade. National maternity survey data shows PND prevalence increased from 10.3% in 2014 to 16.0% in 2018 — a rise of 5.7 percentage points over four years. The pandemic then drove a sharp further increase: by 2020, the prevalence had reached 23.9%, nearly double the 2014 figure.

Post-pandemic rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The structural causes of perinatal mental illness — financial insecurity, social isolation, relationship instability, poor access to services — have not resolved, and in many cases have worsened with the cost-of-living crisis. Women who gave birth during or immediately after the pandemic may continue to experience lasting mental health impacts.

Maternal Suicide: The Most Serious Consequence

Maternal suicide is one of the leading causes of death among women between six weeks and one year after giving birth — a fact that is still not widely known outside specialist clinical circles. MBRRACE-UK's Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care report for 2024 found that perinatal mental illness accounts for 34% of all deaths in women in this period.

This figure places perinatal mental illness at the very top of the maternal mortality picture — above obstetric causes such as haemorrhage and infection. Yet it is the dimension of maternal mortality that attracts least public attention and, as the service cuts described below suggest, fewest resources.

The connection between untreated postnatal depression and suicide is consistent with patterns seen across suicide statistics more broadly, where untreated depression significantly elevates suicide risk. Women with PTSD — which can develop following traumatic birth experiences — are approximately seven times more likely than other women to die by suicide.

Perinatal Mental Health Services: A Crisis of Funding

Despite the clear evidence of need, perinatal mental health services in England are facing significant financial pressure. The Royal College of Psychiatrists found in its July 2025 analysis that almost two-thirds (64%) of Integrated Care Boards in England planned real-terms cuts to funding for perinatal mental health services in 2024–25. This is occurring at a time when need — as the prevalence trends above demonstrate — is growing.

The NHS Long-Term Plan committed to expanding perinatal mental health services to include all women up to two years postpartum, but the progress toward this goal is uneven. The gap between policy ambition and operational reality is most acute in ICBs where commissioning decisions are driven by immediate financial pressures rather than long-term prevention value.

Who Is at Higher Risk?

PND does not affect all women equally. Multiple factors are associated with elevated risk, including previous mental health conditions, a history of adverse childhood experiences, experience of domestic abuse, financial hardship, lack of social support, and loneliness. Young mothers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and mothers of multiples also face higher rates.

Partners are also affected — though the data on paternal postnatal depression receives significantly less attention. Research from the National Childbirth Trust finds that 25% of new fathers experience depressive symptoms in the first year after birth, with 10–12% receiving a formal diagnosis of depression. For men, the barriers to recognising and seeking help for postnatal depression are even higher than they are for women — see our men's mental health statistics guide.

Written by

This guide was produced by the team at Mental Health First Aid Course. We publish evidence-based data resources to support health professionals, families, and employers in recognising and responding to perinatal mental illness.