Memory and thinking problems are skyrocketing among Americans

US adults are reporting serious challenges with memory, concentration, and decision-making. People under the age of 40 are seeing the sharpest increase, with rates of self-reported cognitive disability nearly doubling over the past decade.

A new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, shows a sharp rise in memory and thinking problems among adults in the United States.



Americans and the memory crisis

The new study found that the overall rates of self-reported cognitive disability rose from 5.3% to 7.4% in the last decade. Shocking findings also reveal that the rates have nearly doubled among younger adults, aged between 18 and 39.

“Challenges with memory and thinking have emerged as a leading health issue reported by U.S. adults. Our study shows that these difficulties may be becoming more widespread, especially among younger adults, and that social and structural factors likely play a key role,” study author Adam de Havenon, MD, MS, of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, said in a statement.

To understand the memory crisis, the researchers looked at data from adults from over 4.5 million survey responses collected annually between 2013 and 2023. The participants were asked if they had serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition. Those who answered ‘yes’ were classified as having a cognitive disability. Participants who reported depression along with data from the year 2020, due to the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, were excluded.

Memory problems on the rise

The researchers found that the rate of cognitive disability in the US rose from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023, with the first increase appearing in 2016. The sharpest spike was seen in adults under the age of 40. The rate has doubled in this group - climbing from 5.1% to 9.7%. On the other hand, rates among those aged 70 and older declined slightly, from 7.3% in 2013 to 6.6% over the same period.

The researchers also found that people who had incomes below $35,000 consistently had the highest rates. The memory problems in them rose from 8.8% to 12.6% over the study period.

On the other hand, those with incomes over $75,000 had substantially lower rates, increasing only from 1.8% to 3.9%. For education, rates among adults without a high school diploma rose from 11.1% to 14.3% while rates among college graduates rose from 2.1% to 3.6% over the study period.

The study also showed that the highest prevalence was in American Indian and Alaska Native adults (from 7.5% to 11.2%). In Hispanic adults, it rose from 6.8% to 9.9%. In black adults, the rates rose from 7.3% to 8.2%. In White adults, and Asian adults, the rates spiked from 4.5% to 6.3% and 3.9% to 4.8%, respectively.

“These findings suggest we’re seeing the steepest increases in memory and thinking problems among people who already face structural disadvantages. We need to better understand and address the underlying social and economic factors that may be driving this trend,” de Havenon said.


“More research is also needed to understand what’s driving the large increase in rates among younger adults, given the potential long-term implications for health, workforce productivity and health care systems. It could reflect actual changes in brain health, better awareness and willingness to report problems, or other health and social factors. But regardless of possible causes, the rise is real, and it’s especially pronounced in people under 40,” de Havenon added.