Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Statistics in the United States

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious neurodevelopmental condition that affects millions of individuals in the U.S., impacting their daily functioning, academic performance, and social interactions.

This post delves into the latest statistics on ADHD prevalence among adults and children in the United States. We’ll look at statistics related to demographic trends, treatment approaches, co-occurring disorders, and the economic burden associated with the condition.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2023, approximately 6% of U.S. adults (around 15.5 million people) reported having an active ADHD diagnosis.
• In 2023, 7.4% of adults with ADHD were non-Hispanic Black, while 70.4% were non-Hispanic White.
• In 2023, 22.1% of adults with ADHD were living at or below the poverty threshold, whereas only 12.3% of those without ADHD experienced the same situation.
• Over half (55.9%) of adults in the U.S. received their ADHD diagnosis in adulthood (age 18 or older).
• 36.5% of adults with ADHD were not receiving any form of treatment in 2023. 
• In 2023, 35.2% of adults with ADHD received both medication and counseling or behavioral therapy.
• Approximately 11.4% of children aged 3–17 in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD, totaling around 7 million children.
• ADHD diagnosis rates among children vary by state, ranging from 6% to 16%.
• In the U.S., young boys (14.5%) are more frequently diagnosed than girls (8.0%).
• Nearly 78% of children in the U.S. with ADHD have at least 1 other coexisting condition. About 39.1% have anxiety and 18.9% are diagnosed with depression.
• 36.5% of children with ADHD in the U.S. also have a learning disability.
• Nearly 2 million children diagnosed with ADHD did not receive any specific treatment in 2022. 64.7% of girls received treatment compared to 54.8% of boys.
• The societal cost of ADHD among adults is estimated at $122.8 billion, averaging $14,092 per adult.
• Approximately 21% of individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) in the U.S. also have ADHD.
• The prevalence of ADHD among SUD patients is highest for alcoholism at 25%, followed by cocaine (19%) and opioids (18%).
• Among adolescents with ADHD, 31.3% reported using alcohol and 20.8% reported using marijuana in 2018. 

Adult ADHD Prevalence in the United States

• According to a 2024 study by Staley et al. titled “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis, Treatment, and Telehealth Use in Adults” that used data from the 2023 National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System: 

• In 2023, about 6% of U.S. adults, or roughly 15.5 million individuals, reported having an active diagnosis of ADHD.
• Adults diagnosed with ADHD were predominantly younger than 50, making up 84.5% of this group. 
• Adults with ADHD had lower chances of having a bachelor’s degree or any higher level of education, with 28.1% having reached this educational level, compared to 35.3% of individuals without ADHD.
• Adults with ADHD were more likely to live below the federal poverty line, with 22.1% falling into this category, compared to 12.3% of those without ADHD.
• Over half of adults with ADHD (55.9%) received their diagnosis in adulthood, meaning at age 18 or older.

• According to Statista, a 2023 survey of more than 23,000 college students (over 18 years old) from 38 U.S. institutions revealed that nearly 16% of participants reported having ADHD.
• According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) undertaken between 2001 and 2003: 

• The overall prevalence of current ADHD in U.S. adults aged 18–44 is 4.4%. 
• Adult males had a higher prevalence of ADHD (5.4%) compared to females (3.2%).
• Non-Hispanic White adults had a 5.4% prevalence, higher than all other ethnic groups. 

ADHD Treatment Among U.S. Adults

• According to a 2024 study by Staley et al. titled “Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis, Treatment, and Telehealth Use in Adults”:

• Around one-third (36.5%) of adults with ADHD were unable to get any type of treatment at the time of the survey.
• Another third (35.2%) were undergoing both medication and counseling or behavioral therapy for their ADHD.
• About 50.4% of adults with ADHD had been prescribed medication within the last year, and 33.4% reported using stimulant medication. Nonstimulant medications were less common, used by just 5.9%.
• Among those taking stimulant medications, 71.5% experienced difficulty in filling their prescriptions over the past year due to unavailability.
• Nearly half (46.0%) of adults with ADHD had used telehealth services for their condition. Additionally, 8.9% had been diagnosed solely via telehealth, while 9.5% were diagnosed through a combination of telehealth and in-person consultations.
• Since March 2020, around 30% of adults with ADHD have used telehealth to either obtain ADHD prescriptions or receive therapy and counseling for their condition.

ADHD Prevalence Among Children in the United States

• According to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey:
• Approximately 7 million children in the U.S., representing 11.4% of those aged 3–17 years, meet the symptoms for an ADHD diagnosis. Of these, about 60% had moderate to severe ADHD. 

• By 2022, an additional one million children in the U.S. (3–17 years old) had received an ADHD diagnosis compared to data from 2016.
• The percentage of children aged 3–17 who met the symptoms for an ADHD diagnosis in the U.S. varies significantly by state, ranging from 6% to 16%.
• According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics collected between 2020 and 2022:

• Boys in the U.S. were more frequently diagnosed with ADHD (14.5%) than girls (8.0%), a trend seen in both age groups: 5–11-year olds and 12–17-year olds. 
• ADHD was less common in younger children (5 –11 years) at 8.6%, compared to older children (12–17 years) at 14.3%.
• Among children aged 5–17 in the U.S., White non-Hispanic children had the highest likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis (13.4%), compared to Black children (10.8%) and Hispanic children (8.9%).
• Among children aged 12–17, White children had higher chances of reporting ADHD (17.0%) compared to Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (11.7%) children.
• Across all ethnic groups, ADHD was more common in children aged 12–17 than in those aged 5–11.
• In children aged 5–17, ADHD prevalence was highest (14.8%) among children from families earning less than 100% of the federal poverty level, and dropped to 10.1% for children from families with incomes at or above 200% of the federal poverty level.

ADHD and Co-occurring Disorders Among Children 

• According to a CDC survey: 
• Nearly 78% of children (aged 3–17) with ADHD had at least 1 other coexisting condition. Nearly 50% also faced behavioral or conduct issues, while about 40% were also diagnosed with anxiety. 

• Among young girls, 81.7% of those diagnosed with ADHD also had a co-occurring diagnosis, with anxiety being the most common (52.8%). 

• Among young boys, 75.9% of those diagnosed with ADHD also had another diagnosis, with behavioral/conduct problems being the most common (48.1%). 

ADHD Treatment Among Children

• According to the CDC: 

• In 2022, nearly 2 million children in the U.S. diagnosed with ADHD did not receive any specific treatment for the condition.
• In 2022, roughly 30% of children with ADHD received neither medication nor behavioral therapy, up from 23% in 2016 for children aged 2–17.
• Around 32% of children received a combination of both medication and behavioral treatment for ADHD in 2022.
• The overall number of children receiving behavioral therapy for ADHD rose from 2.5 million in 2016 to 2.8 million in 2022.
• Girls with ADHD had a higher rate of receiving treatment (either medication or behavioral therapy) at 64.7% compared to boys at 54.8%. 

Economic Burden of ADHD in the United States

• According to a 2021 study by Schein et al. titled “Economic Burden of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Adults in the United States: A Societal Perspective”: 

• Around 8.7 million adults in the U.S. have ADHD, resulting in an estimated societal burden of $122.8 billion, averaging $14,092 per individual.
• The majority of these costs stem from unemployment, which totals $66.8 billion (54.4%). This is followed by productivity losses amounting to $28.8 billion (23.4%) and healthcare costs, which reach $14.3 billion (11.6%).

ADHD and Substance Use in the United States

• According to a 2023 study by Rohner et al. titled “Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Among Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Populations: Meta-Analysis” that analyzed 31 studies between 1970 and 2022, with a participant pool of 12,524 individuals: 

• The general prevalence of ADHD among patients of SUD was 21% in the United States. 
• ADHD prevalence among SUD patients varied by substance, with the highest rate for alcoholism at 25%. 

• According to a 2018 study by Harstad et al. titled “Substance Use Among Adolescents With ADHD: Reasons for Use, Knowledge of Risks, and Provider Messaging/Education” that looked at substance abuse among American youth with ADHD aged 12–18, it was found that: 

• 31.3% of surveyed youth with ADHD reported using alcohol and 20.8% reported using marijuana in the past year.
• 65.2% of the respondents did not know or were unsure if alcohol could worsen ADHD symptoms or interfere with their ADHD medication. 
• While 74% of the participants reported that their healthcare provider had asked them about alcohol use, only 9.4% said they were specifically told that alcohol could make ADHD symptoms worse. Furthermore, only 14.6% of the youth were informed by their provider that alcohol could interfere with ADHD medications.
• According to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among adults with SUD, 10.8% met the criteria for ADHD. This is in comparison to an ADHD prevalence of 3.8% in adults without SUD.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is There a Link Between ADHD and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Yes, a growing body of research is showing that ADHD and PTSD may be highly comorbid disorders. Traumatic experiences may also exacerbate ADHD symptoms in individuals already diagnosed with the disorder. Learn more about PTSD in our post called “PTSD Statistics in the United States”.

Is ADHD More Common Among Men Than Women in the U.S.?

According to data from the CDC, males have been known to receive more ADHD diagnoses than females in the U.S. The expression of ADHD symptoms is also different among genders— men tend to be more impulsive and hyperactive, while women tend to be more inattentive. 

Is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Different From ADHD?

No, ADD stands for attention deficit disorder, a term that has now been replaced by ADHD.

How is ADHD Treated?

ADHD is treated using a combination of behavioral therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes tailored to individual needs. Stimulant medications like methylphenidate or amphetamines are commonly prescribed to help improve focus and control impulsivity, while non-stimulant options may be used if stimulants are not suitable. Behavioral therapy helps develop coping strategies, improve social skills, and manage daily challenges, especially in children and adolescents. Lifestyle adjustments, including regular exercise, structured routines, and a balanced diet, also play a key role in managing symptoms. ADHD Treatment approaches vary, and the best plan is usually determined through collaboration between patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.