This study aimed to evaluate the aggregate prevalence of depression in communities across 30 countries from 1994 to 2014, and to explore variations in prevalence by geographical, methodological, and socio-economic factors. A total of 90 studies were included, with 1,112,573 participants. The aggregate point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of depression were 12.9%, 7.2%, and 10.8%, respectively. Point prevalence was significantly higher in women, countries with a medium HDI, studies published from 2004 to 2014, and when using self-reporting instruments. Heterogeneity was identified, with response rate, percentage of women, and year of publication contributing to variation in prevalence. The meta-analysis allows benchmarking of depression prevalence during the era of online health information, facilitating future comparisons. Depression is a common mental health condition characterized by sadness, loss of interest, and other symptoms. It can lead to suicide and increased mortality risk. Depression often has a chronic course and significantly impairs quality of life. The World Health Organization predicts that depression will rank second in global disease burden by 2020. Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated by primary health physicians. The study highlights the importance of evaluating depression prevalence in communities and its variation by geographical region, country income, and assessment method. The study found that depression prevalence was higher in women, countries with a medium HDI, and studies using self-reporting instruments. The prevalence was also higher in studies published from 2004 to 2014. The study used a random-effects model to calculate aggregate prevalence and found high heterogeneity among studies. The meta-regression identified response rate, proportion of women, and year of publication as significant moderators. The study also found that the prevalence of depression was higher in studies using self-report instruments compared to clinical interviews. The study's findings suggest that depression is a common and significant mental health problem globally. The study included a wide range of populations, contributing to significant heterogeneity in prevalence. The study recommends a multi-modal assessment approach combining self-reporting and diagnostic interviews for future epidemiological studies. The study also highlights the importance of addressing mental health disparities and developing equitable community-based mental health programs. The study has limitations, including high heterogeneity and the inability to perform meta-regression on other moderators. Despite these limitations, the study provides the most up-to-date information on depression prevalence in the community over the past two decades. The study concludes that the aggregate point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of depression were 12.9%, 7.2%, and 10.8%, respectively, with high heterogeneity in prevalence. The study also found that the prevalence of depression was higher in studies published from 2004 to 2014 compared to those published from 199This study aimed to evaluate the aggregate prevalence of depression in communities across 30 countries from 1994 to 2014, and to explore variations in prevalence by geographical, methodological, and socio-economic factors. A total of 90 studies were included, with 1,112,573 participants. The aggregate point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of depression were 12.9%, 7.2%, and 10.8%, respectively. Point prevalence was significantly higher in women, countries with a medium HDI, studies published from 2004 to 2014, and when using self-reporting instruments. Heterogeneity was identified, with response rate, percentage of women, and year of publication contributing to variation in prevalence. The meta-analysis allows benchmarking of depression prevalence during the era of online health information, facilitating future comparisons. Depression is a common mental health condition characterized by sadness, loss of interest, and other symptoms. It can lead to suicide and increased mortality risk. Depression often has a chronic course and significantly impairs quality of life. The World Health Organization predicts that depression will rank second in global disease burden by 2020. Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated by primary health physicians. The study highlights the importance of evaluating depression prevalence in communities and its variation by geographical region, country income, and assessment method. The study found that depression prevalence was higher in women, countries with a medium HDI, and studies using self-reporting instruments. The prevalence was also higher in studies published from 2004 to 2014. The study used a random-effects model to calculate aggregate prevalence and found high heterogeneity among studies. The meta-regression identified response rate, proportion of women, and year of publication as significant moderators. The study also found that the prevalence of depression was higher in studies using self-report instruments compared to clinical interviews. The study's findings suggest that depression is a common and significant mental health problem globally. The study included a wide range of populations, contributing to significant heterogeneity in prevalence. The study recommends a multi-modal assessment approach combining self-reporting and diagnostic interviews for future epidemiological studies. The study also highlights the importance of addressing mental health disparities and developing equitable community-based mental health programs. The study has limitations, including high heterogeneity and the inability to perform meta-regression on other moderators. Despite these limitations, the study provides the most up-to-date information on depression prevalence in the community over the past two decades. The study concludes that the aggregate point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of depression were 12.9%, 7.2%, and 10.8%, respectively, with high heterogeneity in prevalence. The study also found that the prevalence of depression was higher in studies published from 2004 to 2014 compared to those published from 199