Nomophobia Statistics: How Common Is the Fear of Being Phoneless?
Nomophobia — the anxiety of being without your phone — has been measured in dozens of studies with the same 20-item questionnaire. Meta-analyses that pool them give a surprisingly consistent picture.
Across 43 studies in 18 countries, about 1 in 5 people (21%) showed severe nomophobia and about half (51%) moderate symptoms.
How severe it is
| Severity | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | 26% | |
| Moderate | 51% | |
| Severe | 21% |
Severe nomophobia by group
| Group | Severe | |
|---|---|---|
| All studies (43 studies, 18 countries) | 21% | |
| All studies (52 studies, 20 countries) | about 20% | |
| University students | 17% | |
| Nursing students | 15% | |
| Medical students in India | 14% |
The headline numbers
- About 1 in 5 people show severe nomophobia — 21% in the most recent pooled estimate (43 studies, 36,656 participants), about 20% in an earlier one (52 studies, 47,399 participants).
- Moderate symptoms are the norm: between 49% and 59% of participants fall into the moderate category across the meta-analyses.
- Among university students, 17% show severe nomophobia and 56% moderate symptoms, in a meta-analysis of studies from eight countries.
- Groups studied separately look similar: 15% severe among nursing students and 14% among medical students in India.
Where it is highest and lowest
Country differences are large. In the meta-analysis of university students, Indonesia had the highest share of severe nomophobia (71%) and Germany the lowest (3%) — the same Germany-at-the-bottom pattern seen in research on problematic smartphone use.
What these numbers measure
Nomophobia is not an official diagnosis. Studies measure it with self-report questionnaires — most often the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) — and sort people into mild, moderate and severe by score. "Moderate" in a survey does not mean a clinical problem; it describes how strongly people agree with statements about feeling uneasy without their phone. Several of these meta-analyses looked only at students, so their figures may not describe every age group.
Going further
Our article on nomophobia explains what causes it and what helps, and the free nomophobia test shows in two minutes how anxious you get without your phone.
Sources
- Al-Mamun F, Mamun MA, Kaggwa MM, et al. The prevalence of nomophobia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 349, 116521 (2025). doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116521
- Jahrami H, Trabelsi K, Boukhris O, et al. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe nomophobia symptoms: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Behavioral Sciences, 13(1), 35 (2022). doi.org/10.3390/bs13010035
- Tuco KG, Castro-Diaz SD, Soriano-Moreno DR, et al. Prevalence of nomophobia in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare Informatics Research, 29(1), 40–53 (2023). doi.org/10.4258/hir.2023.29.1.40
- Mudgal SK, Sharma SK, Patidar V, et al. Prevalence and severity of nomophobia among nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 82(4), 400–413 (2026). doi.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2024.08.018
- Mudgal SK, Gupta P, Gaur R, et al. Nomophobia: Prevalence and severity among Indian medical students — A systematic review and meta-analysis. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 67(5), 459–468 (2025). doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_1132_24
Page last reviewed: September 2026. We update the figures when new meta-analyses are published.
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Frequently asked questions
How common is nomophobia?
Very common in its milder forms. A 2025 meta-analysis of 43 studies with 36,656 participants in 18 countries found 26% with mild, 51% with moderate and 21% with severe nomophobia symptoms, measured with validated questionnaires.
What percentage of people have severe nomophobia?
About 1 in 5: 21% in a 2025 meta-analysis of 43 studies and about 20% in a 2022 meta-analysis of 52 studies. Among university students the figure was 17%.
Which country has the most nomophobia?
In a meta-analysis of university students, Indonesia had the highest share of severe nomophobia (71%) and Germany the lowest (3%). Differences between countries are large.
Is nomophobia a mental disorder?
No. Nomophobia is not an official diagnosis. Researchers measure it with questionnaires such as the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). If anxiety about being without your phone causes you significant distress, talk to a healthcare professional.