ADHD continues to be one of the most common neurodivergent disorders in the United States, but most sources are still using data from the early 2000s. Using the most up-to-date studies and surveys possible, we compiled a list of the 24 most important ADHD statistics to know in 2024.
General Trends
ADHD rates among children remained stable from 2017 to 2022 (10.08% to 10.47%). Despite rapid growth from 1997 to 2016 (6.1% to 10.2%), ADHD rates among U.S. children have remained relatively flat in recent years. The study’s authors point to a redesign of the National Health Interview Survey and Covid-era disruption as potential factors for the surprising values.
Louisiana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Maine, and West Virginia had the highest rates of childhood ADHD. The states with the highest rates of childhood ADHD have shifted, with Rhode Island (15.9%), South Carolina (15.8%), Maine (15.5%), and West Virginia (15.1%) replacing several long-standing front-runners from America’s South. Louisiana (16.5%) still records the highest rates in both childhood ADHD and children receiving medication for the condition (12%).
About 3.1% of adults worldwide live with ADHD. In one of the largest, most comprehensive global studies on ADHD ever attempted, experts pooled results from more than 21 million adults to conclude a worldwide ADHD prevalence of 3.1%. This compares to the U.S. estimate of 4.4%, though that widely-referenced number comes from a 2006 study which may not reflect current trends.
Cost
- Fostering the development of a child with ADHD is 5x more expensive. A 2019 study surveying American families found that the average “total economic burden” to support a child’s development was $15,036 for children with ADHD and only $2,848 for children without ADHD, an increase of almost 528%
- Adult ADHD costs the U.S. $122.8 billion per year. Using data from the IBM MarketScan Research Databases and governmental reports, a 2021 study put the yearly societal excess cost of ADHD in America at $122.8 billion, or $14,092 per adult. This amount is constituted by increased unemployment among adults with ADHD ($66.8 billion), productivity loss ($28.8 billion), and additional health care services ($14.3 billion).
- 37% of Americans stop therapy due to cost. In a 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans undergoing therapy, 37% of respondents indicated they had stopped sessions due to insurance issues, loss of benefits, or overall cost.
Medication
- Stimulant dispensation grew by 45.5% between 2012 and 2021. In a 2023 letter to the American public from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, officials stated that the “overall dispensing of stimulants” increased by 45.5% in the years between 2012 and 2021, including amphetamine products such as Adderall. Between 2020 and 2021, at the height of Covid-19, virtual prescriptions of such stimulant medications grew by more than 10% in some age groups.
- Amphetamine medication production was 1 billion doses short in 2022. On November 1, 2023, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency announced that manufacturers of amphetamine medications (such as Adderall), had produced 1 billion fewer doses than required to meet demand over the previous year.
- 62% of U.S. children receive medication for their ADHD. Among all diagnosed children between the ages of 3 and 17 in the United States, 62% (3.7 million) receive medication for the condition. The rate is highest among children ages 6-11 (69%) and lowest among children ages 2-5 (18%).
Other Treatments
- 15% of U.S. children receive only behavioral treatment for their ADHD. Of all U.S. children with ADHD being treated for the condition, only 15% opted for behavioral treatment only, with no medication of any kind. This compares to the 30% that received only medication, 32% that received both medication and behavioral treatment, and 23% that received no treatment at all.
- 19% of U.S. counties lack mental health resources. In a nationwide survey of mental health resources, 596 (19%) counties in the United States lacked both broadband access (limiting telehealth options) and access to local psychiatrists. These findings correlated with an increase in drug overdose mortality (9.2 vs. 5.2 per 100,000) and completed suicide (10.6 vs. 7.6 per 100,000).
Education
- 15% of college students report having ADHD. A 2022 study of 33,000 college students from 51 universities across the United States found that roughly 15% self-reported as having ADHD.
- 33.2% of high school students with combined-type ADHD drop out or fail to graduate on time. Research investigating the effects of adolescent-onset psychiatric and substance abuse disorders found that 33.2% of high school students with combined-type ADHD failed to graduate on time, compared to 15.2% among those with no disorder.
- 0.06% of young adults with ADHD attain a graduate degree. Among young adults between the ages of 23 and 32, only 0.06% of respondents with ADHD held a graduate degree, compared to 5.4% among those without the condition.
Professional Life
- Proper ADHD medication is associated with a 10% lower risk of long-term unemployment. In an examination of long-term employment risks among 12,875 middle-aged adults with ADHD, researchers found that the proper use of ADHD medications lowered the risk of long-term unemployment by 10%.
- Adults with ADHD are 60% more likely to be fired. A large-scale study on the impact of ADHD in the workplace found that adults with ADHD are 60% more likely to be fired from a job at some point in their professional careers. The same study found that these adults are 30% more likely to have chronic employment issues and 300% more likely to quit a job impulsively.
- Adults with childhood ADHD earn 33% less. Globally, earnings among adults with ADHD are up to 33% lower than those of peers without the condition, a figure which exceeds the gaps demonstrated by gender and race.
Predictors
- Low household income increases risk of childhood ADHD by 83%. A multinational study of ADHD risk factors found that, compared to a baseline value, low household income during late childhood increased the risk of ADHD by up to 83%, with middle household incomes demonstrating a 42% increase compared to baseline.
- Low maternal education increases risk of late-childhood ADHD by 113%. In the same social gradients study referenced above, researchers found that low maternal education increased the likelihood of late-childhood ADHD by as much as 113% when compared to baseline, with middle maternal education increasing the risk by 42%. No values were given about the relationship of paternal education.
- Non-Hispanic Black children (12%) and white children (10%) are most likely to be diagnosed. A definitive survey of American children by the CDC found that non-Hispanic black children and white children were diagnosed at far greater rates than Hispanic children (8%) and non-Hispanic Asian children (3%). Rather than indicating race-based predispositions to ADHD, experts believe this may be due to cultural factors or awareness among certain communities.
- Boys are more than twice as likely (13%) to be diagnosed than girls (6%). Following a historic pattern, the CDC estimates that boys are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed than girls of a similar age. Mental health experts believe that this gap may be due to a lingering lack of understanding or recognition about how ADHD manifests in women and girls as well as a difference in symptom presentation.
Comorbidities
- 38% of children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit comorbid ADHD. A 2021 meta-analysis of 69 previous studies found that, after pooling current and lifetime rates, the prevalence of ADHD among children with autism spectrum disorder was 38.5%.
- 56% of adults with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. In a 2022 study of ADHD comorbidities focusing on anxiety disorders, researchers found that more than 56% of participants displayed at least one such disorder. Of these, social phobia (30.03%), panic disorder (28.05%), and PTSD (21.81%) were the most common.
- 21% of adults with a substance use disorder also have ADHD. A large-scale 2023 meta-analysis of substance abuse and ADHD studies found that among respondents with at least one Substance Use Disorder, up to 21% exhibited clear signs of ADHD. This was broken out by type of substance: 19% for cocaine abuse, 18% for opioid abuse, and 25% for alcohol abuse.
