BPD affects 5.4% of the Canadian population according to a 2015 Statistics Canada report. Other studies have more conservative estimates that around 2% of Canadian are diagnosed with BPD, which would represent 26,000 people in Manitoba and 760,000 people in Canada.
This compares to 10% with mood disorders, 12% with anxiety disorders, and 4% with substance abuse disorders in Canada.
The actual number of people with BPD is probably higher since people with BPD are often misdiagnosed with another disorder, such as depression, ADHD, PTSD, or bipolar disorder.
BPD affects between 2% and 6% of adults in the US, thus approximately 6.7 million Americans are diagnosed with BPD.
The prevalence of BPD among the general population globally is believed to be between 4% and 6%, but some websites say the rate of BPD could be as high as 10%. That means there could be just as many un-diagnosed BPD cases as diagnosed. Many people with BPD may not seek treatment or remain un-diagnosed due to stigma or lack of awareness.
The rate of BPD diagnosis has increased over the last 40 years, but it is likely due to better understanding and awareness. It is not necessarily getting worse, but we don’t know for sure.