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ADHD statistics — quick reference¶
Last updated: 2026-10-19 (includes a pre-window official-source backfill)
Every figure below retains its population, method and source. Estimates that answer different questions are shown side by side and are never averaged.
Prevalence and course¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6% (95% CI 0.9–3.0) | General populations, studies through 2024 | Register-study meta-analysis | Popit 2024, PMID 39381949 |
| 5.0% (2.9–8.6) | General populations, studies through 2024 | Survey meta-analysis | Popit 2024, PMID 39381949 |
| 4.2% (2.9–6.0) | General populations | One-stage clinical-study meta-analysis | Popit 2024, PMID 39381949 |
| 4.8% (4.0–5.8) | General populations | Two-stage clinical-study meta-analysis | Popit 2024, PMID 39381949 |
| 5.9–7.1% | 86 child/adolescent studies; N=163,688 | DSM-IV prevalence meta-analysis by informant/method | Willcutt 2012, PMID 22976615 |
| 5.0% | Young adults | DSM-IV self-report synthesis | Willcutt 2012, PMID 22976615 |
| 2.58% | Global adults, demographic structure of 2020 | Persistent adult ADHD meta-analysis | Song 2021, PMID 33692893 |
| 6.76% | Global adults, demographic structure of 2020 | Symptomatic adult ADHD meta-analysis | Song 2021, PMID 33692893 |
| 139.84 million | Global adults, 2020 | Persistent ADHD prevalence × demographic population | Song 2021, PMID 33692893 |
| 366.33 million | Global adults, 2020 | Symptomatic ADHD prevalence × demographic population | Song 2021, PMID 33692893 |
| 4.4% | US adults, National Comorbidity Survey Replication | Structured population survey, current adult ADHD | Kessler 2006, PMID 16585449 |
| ~15% | Followed childhood cases near age 25 | Full-syndrome persistence meta-regression | Faraone 2006, PMID 16420712 |
| ~65% | Followed childhood cases near age 25 | Symptomatic/partial-remission persistence | Faraone 2006, PMID 16420712 |
| 6% childhood ADHD | Dunedin birth cohort, N=1,037 | Prospective childhood ascertainment | Moffitt 2015, PMID 25998281 |
| 3% adult ADHD | Dunedin cohort at 38 | Adult assessment omitting onset/cross-setting as requirements | Moffitt 2015, PMID 25998281 |
| 90% of adult cases lacked childhood ADHD | Dunedin adult case group | Prospective follow-back | Moffitt 2015, PMID 25998281 |
| 9.5% → 12.0% | US children 3–17, NHIS 2019–20 vs 2023–24 | Parent-reported clinician-told ADHD, adjusted trend | Zablotsky 2026, PMID 42767652 |
| 8.8% → 11.6% | US children 3–17, NSCH 2016–2024 (N=326,999) | Parent-reported current ADHD, Joinpoint | Li 2026, PMID 42805290 |
| 1.3–1.8% (stable) | Same NSCH series | Parent-rated severe current ADHD | Li 2026, PMID 42805290 |
| 0.5% → 2.5% of pregnancies | Ontario deliveries 2002–2023 (N=2,327,110) | Preconception maternal ADHD diagnosis, administrative data | Egsgaard 2026, PMID 42671284 |
| 82.20 (46.77–122.88) YLD per 100,000 | East Asia 2023, age-standardized | GBD 2023 modelling (highest Asian region) | Choi 2026, PMID 42853455 |
| 213.03 YLD per 100,000 | East Asia, ages 10–14, 2023 | GBD 2023 age-specific peak | Choi 2026, PMID 42853455 |
| 5.2% → 24.4% annual growth | Norway, females 15–24, before vs after 2020 | Prescription-register interrupted time series | Reme 2026, PMID 42847285 |
| Approximately 7 million; 11.7% current ADHD | US children aged 3–17; 2024 data, CDC page dated 2026-07-08 | National parent survey; clinician-told diagnosis reported by parents, not a new clinical ascertainment study | CDC — “Data on ADHD in Children”, https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html, accessed 2026-10-19 |
Portal backfill, 2026-10-19. The CDC figure above predates this sweep’s publication window and was added after successful direct retrieval. Its 11.7% differs from the already catalogued NSCH analysis’s 11.6%; the estimates are retained separately. The reason for that difference has not been verified. Neither figure is a measure of independently confirmed severe ADHD. No new NHS waiting-list total is added: the collection page was retrievable, but a current numerical release was not verified.
Diagnosis and measurement¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 231 studies | Children/adolescents, literature through June 2023 | Systematic review of diagnostic tools | Peterson 2024, PMID 38523599 |
| Sensitivity 0.77; specificity 0.73 | Pediatric CBCL attention problems | Diagnostic-accuracy meta-analysis | Chang 2016, PMID 26928969 |
| Sensitivity 0.75; specificity 0.75 | Conners parent revised | Diagnostic-accuracy meta-analysis | Chang 2016, PMID 26928969 |
| Sensitivity 0.72; specificity 0.84 | Conners teacher revised | Diagnostic-accuracy meta-analysis | Chang 2016, PMID 26928969 |
| Sensitivity 0.83; specificity 0.84 | Conners abbreviated symptom questionnaire | Diagnostic-accuracy meta-analysis | Chang 2016, PMID 26928969 |
| Sensitivity 68.7%; specificity 99.5% | Adults, original 6-item ASRS | Blind clinical comparison, N=154 | Kessler 2005, PMID 15841682 |
| Accuracy 97.9%; κ=0.76 | Adults, original 6-item ASRS | Community calibration sample | Kessler 2005, PMID 15841682 |
| Sensitivity 91.4%; specificity 96.0% | DSM-5 ASRS, prevalence-weighted population samples | Blind semistructured interview | Ustun 2017, PMID 28384801 |
| AUC 0.94; PPV 67.3% | DSM-5 ASRS, prevalence-weighted | Validation analysis | Ustun 2017, PMID 28384801 |
| Sensitivity 91.9%; specificity 74.0% | Independent specialty/primary-care comparison sample | DSM-5 ASRS external sample | Ustun 2017, PMID 28384801 |
Genetics¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74% | Family/twin/adoption literature | Review heritability estimate | Faraone 2019, PMID 29892054 |
| 71% | Inattention dimension | Meta-analysis of twin/adoption samples | Nikolas 2010, PMID 20141238 |
| 73% | Hyperactivity-impulsivity dimension | Meta-analysis of twin/adoption samples | Nikolas 2010, PMID 20141238 |
| 20,183 cases; 35,191 controls | International ADHD GWAS | Genome-wide meta-analysis | Demontis 2019, PMID 30478444 |
| 12 independent loci | Same GWAS | Genome-wide significance | Demontis 2019, PMID 30478444 |
| About one third of heritability attributed to common polygenic component | Review synthesis | SNP/polygenic evidence | Faraone 2019, PMID 29892054 |
Acute pharmacologic efficacy and tolerability¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method/outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 133 RCTs | 81 pediatric, 51 adult, 1 mixed | Double-blind network meta-analysis | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| N=10,068 pediatric; 8,131 adult | Around 12 weeks | Efficacy network | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Amphetamine SMD −1.02 (95% CI −1.19 to −0.85) | Children/adolescents | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Methylphenidate SMD −0.78 (−0.93 to −0.62) | Children/adolescents | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Atomoxetine SMD −0.56 (−0.66 to −0.45) | Children/adolescents | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Methylphenidate SMD −0.82 (−1.16 to −0.48) | Children/adolescents | Teacher-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Amphetamine SMD −0.79 (−0.99 to −0.58) | Adults | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Methylphenidate SMD −0.49 (−0.64 to −0.35) | Adults | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Atomoxetine SMD −0.45 (−0.58 to −0.32) | Adults | Clinician-rated symptoms vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Amphetamine adverse-event withdrawal OR 2.30 (1.36–3.89) | Children/adolescents | Tolerability vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| Amphetamine adverse-event withdrawal OR 3.26 (1.54–6.92) | Adults | Tolerability vs placebo | Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390 |
| 212 trials; 16,302 randomized | Children/adolescents | Cochrane methylphenidate review | Storebø 2023, PMID 36971690 |
| Mean trial duration 28.8 days | Pediatric methylphenidate trials | Range 1–425 days | Storebø 2023, PMID 36971690 |
| Teacher-rated symptom SMD −0.74 (−0.88 to −0.61) | Children/adolescents | Methylphenidate vs placebo/no intervention; very-low certainty | Storebø 2023, PMID 36971690 |
| Non-serious adverse-event RR 1.23 (1.11–1.37) | Children/adolescents | Methylphenidate vs control; very-low certainty | Storebø 2023, PMID 36971690 |
| 81 adult trials; only 5 overall low risk of bias | Adults | Pharmacotherapy network meta-analysis | Elliott 2020, PMID 33085721 |
| Hedges' g −0.37 (−0.68 to −0.05) | 5 centanafadine RCTs, n=1,968 | Meta-analysis vs placebo | Muneer 2026, PMID 42267239 |
| SBP +1.93, DBP +1.84 mmHg; HR +3.71 bpm | 56 amphetamine RCTs, n=10,583 (mixed indications) | Cochrane meta-analysis, high certainty | Chan 2025, PMID 40152309 |
| Withdrawal for AEs RR 2.69 (2.13–3.40) | 42 amphetamine RCTs, n=8,952 | Cochrane meta-analysis | Chan 2025, PMID 40152309 |
| Atomoxetine serious AEs RR 2.31 (1.79–2.97) | Adults, 21 NRI RCTs, n=5,124 | GRADE review, moderate certainty | Nurkhametova 2026, PMID 42751977 |
Quality of life, psychosocial and digital treatment¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method/outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 RCTs; N=5,388 | Ages ≥6 | Medication quality-of-life meta-analysis | Bellato 2025, PMID 38823477 |
| Amphetamine Hedges g 0.51 (0.08–0.94) | ADHD across ages | Quality of life vs placebo | Bellato 2025, PMID 38823477 |
| Methylphenidate g 0.38 (0.23–0.54) | ADHD across ages | Quality of life vs placebo | Bellato 2025, PMID 38823477 |
| Atomoxetine g 0.30 (0.19–0.40) | ADHD across ages | Quality of life vs placebo | Bellato 2025, PMID 38823477 |
| 28 studies | Adults | CBT randomized-trial meta-analysis | Liu 2023, PMID 36794797 |
| 579 randomized children | Ages 7–9.9 years | Four-arm MTA, 14 months | MTA Cooperative Group 1999, PMID 10591283 |
| 348 randomized children | Ages 8–12 | STARS digital-therapeutic RCT | Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633 |
| TOVA API change 0.93 vs 0.03 | STARS intervention vs digital control | Four-week objective attention endpoint | Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633 |
| Median difference 0.88 (0.24–1.49) | STARS | Primary endpoint estimate | Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633 |
| 83% mean session compliance | STARS intervention arm | 83 of 100 expected sessions | Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633 |
| Frustration 3%; headache 2% | STARS intervention arm | Treatment-related adverse events | Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633 |
Long-term safety and outcomes¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method/outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 studies; N=4,868 | Long-term pediatric methylphenidate | Growth meta-analysis | Carucci 2021, PMID 33080250 |
| Height z-score reduction magnitude SMD 0.27 (0.16–0.38) | >6 months methylphenidate | Pre–post change; direction reported as reduced growth | Carucci 2021, PMID 33080250 |
| Weight z-score reduction magnitude SMD 0.33 (0.22–0.44) | >6 months methylphenidate | Pre–post change; direction reported as reduced growth | Carucci 2021, PMID 33080250 |
| 19 studies; 3,931,532 participants | Six regions; median follow-up 1.5 years | Cardiovascular observational meta-analysis | Zhang 2022, PMID 36416824 |
| Any CVD RR 1.18 (0.91–1.53) | Children/adolescents | Medication exposure | Zhang 2022, PMID 36416824 |
| Any CVD RR 1.04 (0.43–2.48) | Young/middle-aged adults | Medication exposure | Zhang 2022, PMID 36416824 |
| Arrhythmia/cardiac-arrest RR 1.60 (0.94–2.72) | All ages | Medication exposure | Zhang 2022, PMID 36416824 |
| 1,200,438 people; 2,579,104 person-years | Ages 2–24 | US health-plan cohort | Cooper 2011, PMID 22043968 |
| 3.1 serious cardiovascular events per 100,000 person-years | Ages 2–24 | Validated sudden death/MI/stroke endpoint | Cooper 2011, PMID 22043968 |
| Current-use HR 0.75 (0.31–1.85) | Ages 2–24 | ADHD drugs vs nonuse | Cooper 2011, PMID 22043968 |
| 148,578 incident diagnoses | Sweden, ages 6–64 | Mortality target-trial emulation | Li 2024, PMID 38470385 |
| 2-year mortality 39.1 vs 48.1 per 10,000 | Initiation vs noninitiation | Risk difference −8.9 per 10,000 (−17.3 to −0.6) | Li 2024, PMID 38470385 |
| All-cause mortality HR 0.79 (0.70–0.88) | Same cohort | Medication initiation | Li 2024, PMID 38470385 |
| Unnatural-cause mortality HR 0.75 (0.66–0.86) | Same cohort | Medication initiation | Li 2024, PMID 38470385 |
| Injury rate ratio 0.76 (0.61–0.93) | ADHD patients | Within-individual observational meta-analysis | Man 2017, PMID 29255995 |
| Injury rate ratio 0.88 (0.85–0.92) | ADHD patients | Between-individual observational meta-analysis | Man 2017, PMID 29255995 |
| Suicide-attempt RR 0.69 (0.49–0.97) | ADHD patients | Within-individual medication meta-analysis | Liu 2020, PMID 32875686 |
| Past-year prescribed-stimulant misuse 22.6% | 12 surveys, samples 88–10,000 | Prevalence meta-analysis | Forrest 2025, PMID 40698051 |
| Past-year diversion 18.2%; lifetime diversion 17.9% | Prescribed populations | Prevalence meta-analysis | Forrest 2025, PMID 40698051 |
| Self-harm IRR 2.58 / 1.78 / 1.27 | 90 d pre-initiation / first 90 d / later treatment; 5 sites, n=461,024 | Self-controlled case series | Chan 2026, PMID 42731881 |
| MACE HR 1.58 (1.18–2.10) | Adults with T2D diagnosed <45 y, medication vs non-use; 7 countries | Multinational cohort | Dong 2026, PMID 42806384 |
| All-cause mortality HR 2.42 (1.72–3.41) | Adults with T2D, ADHD vs no ADHD | Multinational cohort | Dong 2026, PMID 42806384 |
| GPA effect −0.01 (AR 95% CI −1.13 to 0.15) | Norway, n=6,255 diagnosed age 5–15 | Instrumental-variable analysis of medication | Lyhmann 2026, PMID 42803341 |
| MCI/dementia HR 4.60 (3.99–5.29) | All of Us, age ≥50, n=187,341 | EHR cohort | Bauer-Negrini 2026, PMID 42842281 |
| Prenatal paracetamol ADHD RR 1.29 (unrestricted), attenuating toward null in quality-restricted models | >3 million participants, 7 meta-analyses | Umbrella review | Tayebi-Hillali 2026, PMID 42773841 |
Known conflicts and caveats¶
- Register prevalence (1.6%) and survey/clinical prevalence (~4–5%) measure different ascertainment systems, not contradictory “true rates” (Popit 2024, PMID 39381949).
- Persistent adult ADHD (2.58%) requires childhood onset; symptomatic adult ADHD (6.76%) does not, so the values must not be averaged (Song 2021, PMID 33692893).
- Full-syndrome persistence (~15%) and symptomatic persistence (~65%) answer different remission questions (Faraone 2006, PMID 16420712).
- Clinician-rated and teacher-rated medication effects diverge, demonstrating rater dependence (Cortese 2018, PMID 30097390).
- The Cochrane methylphenidate review rates all main outcomes very-low certainty because of bias and likely unblinding, despite a large pooled symptom effect (Storebø 2023, PMID 36971690).
- Cardiovascular event meta-analysis is reassuring at population level but imprecise for arrhythmia, females, pre-existing disease and long exposure (Zhang 2022, PMID 36416824).
- Mortality, injury and suicide-attempt estimates are observational associations, not randomized treatment effects.
- STARS-ADHD measured an objective attention task; it did not establish durable school or home functional benefit (Kollins 2020, PMID 33334505; NCT02674633).
- Diagnosed versus severe prevalence diverge (2026). US parent-reported diagnosis rose by about 2.5–2.8 percentage points to 2023–24 while parent-rated severe ADHD stayed flat (Zablotsky 2026, PMID 42767652; Li 2026, PMID 42805290). These are not competing prevalence estimates. They measure different constructs, and both differ from the method-stratified epidemiological figures above.
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health — 2026-10-19 addition¶
| Figure | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29.3 vs 15.2 per 1,000 person-years; adjusted HR 1.70 (95% CI 1.59–1.81) | Stockholm; 18,776 girls with ADHD diagnosis/medication and 93,880 matched controls; 2011–2021 | Matched healthcare-register cohort; composite recorded STI or unwanted-pregnancy/abortion contact | Kopp Kallner 2026, PMID 42864120, full-text Table 2 |
| Adjusted OR 0.64 (0.44–0.94), >5 years medication; 0.67 (0.57–0.79), no medication; both vs >0 to ≤1 year | Within the ADHD cohort; 1,787 outcome cases and 8,909 matched controls | Nested case-control analysis; treatment duration is observational and severity is unmeasured | Kopp Kallner 2026, PMID 42864120, full-text Table 4 |
The medication-duration associations do not establish a causal benefit; the untreated group also has lower odds than the short-exposure reference.