Memory Problems Are Surging in Adults Under 40, Large US Study Finds

The latest study on America's state of mind is in, and it reveals a concerning rise in the share of adults who say they have problems with memory, decision-making, or concentration – known collectively as cognitive disability.

A US team led by University of Utah neurology researcher Ka-Ho Wong found that those aged 18–39 experienced the biggest uptick in cognitive disability in the past decade, after analyzing survey data from more than 4.5 million people.

Overall, the proportion of US adults reporting serious cognitive difficulties rose from 5.3 percent to 7.4 percent between 2013 and 2023. For those under 40, the rate nearly doubled, jumping from 5.1 percent to 9.7 percent across the same period. People who reported depression were excluded from the figures.

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"Challenges with memory and thinking have emerged as a leading health issue reported by US adults," says vascular neurologist Adam de Havenon, from Yale University.

Self-reported cognitive disability rates rose in all age groups except those aged 70 and over. (Wong et al., Neurol., 2025)

Self-reported cognitive disability rose across most age groups; however, an upward trend was not observed in senior citizens. Rates in those aged 70 and older actually declined slightly, the researchers found, from 7.3 percent in 2013 to 6.6 percent in 2023.

"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," de Havenon explains.

Those factors include socioeconomic status. Groups with annual incomes under US$35,000 and those with lower educational attainment saw increases in cognitive disability that were larger than the general trend.

American Indian and Alaska Native adults reported the highest rates of cognitive disability, despite a rise in reported prevalence across all racial and ethnic groups.

"These findings suggest we're seeing the steepest increases in memory and thinking problems among people who already face structural disadvantages," says de Havenon.

As of 2022, cognitive disability affects 13.9 percent of adults in the US, according to annual surveys by the CDC – making it the most commonly reported disability in those surveys.

13.9 percent of U.S. adults have a cognitive disability. (CDC)

The new study doesn't pin down specific causes, but there's growing evidence that our minds aren't in great shape.

People's increased willingness to report mental health issues or the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic could partially explain the rise, the team thinks, thought it's almost certain that multiple factors are combining.

There may be a growing openness to talk about mental health in younger people in particular. The researchers also suggest that increased uncertainty about work among younger adults and greater reliance on digital tools might be contributing.

There are some limitations here, primarily that cognitive problems were self-reported by phone rather than clinically assessed. Even without specific diagnoses, the numbers are enough to point to a public-health concern.

"We need to better understand and address the underlying social and economic factors that may be driving this trend," says de Havenon.

"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."

The research has been published in Neurology.