ADHD Statistics & Facts

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder gets a lot of attention in the news, but the ADHD statistics can give you a better idea of the state of the condition in the U.S.

Take a look at the latest ADHD statistics and facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ADHD Diagnosis

• As of 2006, 4.5 million children have ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
• Of that number, 7.8 percent were diagnosed by a parent.
• Diagnosis for ADHD increased about 3 percent per year from 1997 to 2006.
• Boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls.
• Diagnosis is more common in non-Hispanic, English-speaking, and insured children.
• Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia had the highest prevalence of ADHD diagnoses in the country. Colorado was the lowest.

Schools, Peers & Work

• Only about 5 percent of children with ADHD don’t have a separate learning disability.
• Children with ADHD are three times as likely to have peer problems than those who don’t.
• Children with ADHD are 10 times more likely to have friendship difficulties.
• Young people with attention problems are at a greater risk for motor vehicle crashes, drinking and driving, and traffic violations.
• Adults with ADHD are more likely to have one sick day from work per month compared to workers without ADHD.
• ADHD has been associated with 143.8 million “lost days of productivity” per year across 10 countries.

ADHD Treatment

• About 60 percent of the total diagnosed children with ADHD were receiving treatment as of 2003.
• Children ages 9 to 12 were the largest group receiving treatment.
• In 2000, the U.S. ADHD pharmaceutical market was valued at $1 billion.
• In 2008, that same market was worth $4 billion.

View the ADHD Learning Center.