Statistics on ADHD in Diverse Communities
ADHD diagnosis in children according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Millions of U.S. children have been diagnosed with ADHD.
An estimated 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children aged 3–17 years have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents using data from 2022.
ADHD estimates by sex, race, and ethnicity:
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Boys (15%) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (8%).
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Black children and White children were more often diagnosed with ADHD (both 12%) than Asian children (4%).
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American Indian/Alaska Native children (10%) were also more often diagnosed with ADHD than Asian children.
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Approximately 6% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children were diagnosed with ADHD.
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Overall, non-Hispanic children (12%) were diagnosed with ADHD more often than Hispanic children (10%).
ADHD symptoms can vary in severity.
About 6 in 10 children had moderate or severe ADHD.
Children with both ADHD and another co-occurring condition, such as behavioral or conduct problems, learning disorders, anxiety, or depression, more often had severe ADHD than children with ADHD without other co-occurring conditions.
Other concerns and conditions with ADHD
Many children with ADHD also have other co-occurring conditions.
According to a national 2022 parent survey, nearly 78% of children with ADHD had at least one other co-occurring condition:
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Almost half of the children with ADHD had a behavior or conduct problem.
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About 4 in 10 of the children with ADHD had anxiety.
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Other conditions affecting children with ADHD include depression, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
Nearly 2 million U.S. children with ADHD did not receive ADHD-specific treatment in 2022.
A national parent survey from 2022 reported on medication and behavior treatment for children 3–17 years of age with current ADHD:
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About 30% of children with ADHD did not receive medication treatment or behavior treatment, compared with 23% of children 2–17 years of age with ADHD in 2016.13
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About 32% children with ADHD received both medication treatment and behavior treatment.
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Overall, the total number of children receiving behavior treatment increased from 2016 (2.5 million) to 2022 (2.8 million).
ADHD in Adults
An estimated 15.5 million adults (6.0%) had a current ADHD diagnosis, approximately one half of whom received their diagnosis during adulthood.
U.S. ADHD Adult Diagnostic Guidelines are currently being developed.
Where the data come from
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MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters (CCE) Database & MarketScan® Multi-State Medicaid Database | Merative™
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National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome
