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ADHD statistics 2025

An estimated 7.1 million children and 15.5 million adults have ADHD in the U.S., and numbers are rising
By | Updated on Jul. 25, 2025 Medically reviewed by Karen Berger, Pharm.D.
Map of America with charts and graphs: ADHD statistics in children, teens, and adults
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It’s developmentally appropriate for young children to be restless and easily distracted. However, when these actions interfere with their school work and result in frequent disciplinary action, parents might wonder if there’s more to this behavior than kids just being kids. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed among children in the U.S. Fortunately, there are multiple medications and types of behavioral therapy to help children and adults with ADHD.

RELATED: Is your child being misdiagnosed with ADHD?

What is ADHD?

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines ADHD as a common disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. Symptoms of ADHD include chronic inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Many are diagnosed with ADHD as children, as symptoms become prominent in early development and academic work. ADHD symptoms can persist into adulthood and affect social relationships as well as academic and work performance. 

“ADHD is a neurological disorder, although the exact cause has yet to be determined,” says Gabriel Villarreal, LPC, a counselor at Virginia-based ADHD Counseling in the Roanoke Valley. “What we know is that it occurs when the prefrontal cortex growth lags behind the rest of the brain.” 

Villarreal says people with ADHD may also have an imbalance of certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain), like dopamine and norepinephrine. “Dopamine is responsible for attention, drive, and motivation. Norepinephrine is responsible for creating calm, and it’s what’s partially responsible for hyperactivity.” 

How common is ADHD?

  • ADHD affects about 2%–5% of adults worldwide, and the average prevalence is 3.1%. (Psychiatry Research, 2023)
  • As of 2022, 11.4% of U.S. children ages 3–17 years old had ever been diagnosed with ADHD, which is up from 11% in 2016. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • In 2016, 6.5 million U.S. children had been diagnosed with ADHD, but that number had risen to 7.1 million by 2022. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Surveys from 2016–2019 found that Louisiana had the highest prevalence of ADHD in children ages 3–17 (16.3%) and California had the lowest (6.1%). (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2023)
  • ADHD-I (inattentive ADHD) is more common than ADHD-HI (hyperactive ADHD) and ADHD-C (combined ADHD). (Psychiatry Research, 2023)
  • Boys are nearly two times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD. (National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 2024)
  • White non-Hispanic children are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than Black or Hispanic children. (NCHS, 2024)
  • As family income increases, the likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis tends to decrease. (NCHS, 2024)

ADHD in children 

  • The percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD increases with age. Surveys show that 2.4% (274,000) of children ages 3–5 and 11.5% (2.8 million) of children ages  6–11 have been diagnosed with ADHD. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • The median age of ADHD diagnosis is 6.2 years. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2014)
  • Children with other mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDD) are more likely to be diagnosed with severe ADHD. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Nearly 98% of all children currently diagnosed with ADHD also have another MBDD, including learning and language disorders. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Behavioral or conduct problems (44.1%) are the most common co-occurring disorders in children with ADHD, followed by anxiety (39.1%), a learning disability (36.5%), a developmental delay (21.7%), and autism (14.4%). (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)

ADHD severity in children

  • The median age of diagnosis is 7 years for mild ADHD, 6.1 years for moderate ADHD, and 4.4 years for severe ADHD. (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2014)
  • Moderate ADHD is the most common severity in children, affecting 45.3% of those ages 3–17 with a current diagnosis. Nearly 42% have been diagnosed with mild ADHD, and 12.8% with severe ADHD. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Severe ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in children whose parents or guardians had a lower income or had no college education. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Children with moderate or severe ADHD are more likely to take medication for it than those with mild ADHD. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)

ADHD statistics in teens 

  • Four million (15.5%) teenagers 12–17 years old have ever been diagnosed with ADHD. (Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2024)
  • Teenagers with public insurance (17.6%) were more likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD compared to those with private insurance (12.8%) or no insurance (6.7%). (NCHS, 2024)
  • Data from 2001–2004, which is the most current information available, suggests that the prevalence of ADHD is slightly higher in Black teens (9.3%) than in White (8.9%) and Hispanic teens (8.5%). (NIMH)
  • Of all adolescent ADHD cases, about half show severe impairment. (NIMH)

ADHD in the classroom

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, children with ADHD need extra support in the classroom in order to achieve outcomes similar to their peers. 

“Schools can accommodate children with ADHD with modifications in the classroom,” says Nekeshia Hammond, Psy.D., a psychologist at Hammond Psychology and Associates based in Florida. “Some examples of modifications include, but are not limited to: taking additional breaks, assigned seating arrangement (e.g., sitting closer to the teacher), extended time on tests, quizzes, and assignments, as well as taking tests in a separate setting to reduce distractions.”

She explains that each child’s academic experience is different. “Some children struggle academically due to significant difficulties with attention and/or hyperactivity, whereas other students who have learned to cope with the ADHD symptoms may experience less academic disruptions.” 

Sometimes ADHD symptoms lead to social challenges as well. “Some youth can have problems with self-control, leading to verbal or physical altercations with other students,” Dr. Hammond says.

  • After medication, school support is the most common form of ADHD treatment for children. (The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • A 2019 study found that at least 20% of children ages 4–17 do not receive any school services to help with their ADHD. (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2019)
  • Behavioral classroom management is provided to only 1 in 3 children with ADHD, but nearly 2 in 3 receive educational support. (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2019)
  • Individualized education programs (IEPs) are more common than Section 504 plans for children with ADHD. (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2019)

ADHD in adults

  • Researchers believe 15.5 million U.S. adults live with ADHD as of 2023, which is nearly double the 2018 estimate of 8.7 million. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024; Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy, 2021)
  • Only about 44% of U.S. adults with ADHD had received a diagnosis before they turned 18. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)
  • Adults with a current ADHD diagnosis are more likely to be younger than 50, less likely to have a bachelor’s degree or higher, more likely to live below the federal poverty level, and more likely to be White and non-Hispanic. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)

According to a survey conducted in late 2023 by the National Center for Health Statistics, ADHD prevalence among adults is currently about 6% in the U.S. However, the rate of ADHD in adults is likely underreported for several reasons. First, the diagnostic criteria for ADHD was initially developed for children, so people have only recently been able to receive an initial diagnosis in adulthood. 

Second, some adults may go undiagnosed and therefore untreated because of co-occurring mental health conditions that mask the symptoms of ADHD, such as:

  • Bipolar disorder: Co-occurring in 5.1%–47.1% of people with ADHD
  • Depression: Co-occurring in 18.6%–53.3% of people with ADHD
  • Mood and anxiety disorders: Co-occurring in 28%–50% of people with ADHD

In addition, research suggests up to 86.5% of children with ADHD will continue to experience symptoms as adults. With the current prevalence of ADHD in children estimated at 11.4%, the adult prevalence could be as high as 9.8%. 

Dr. Hammond says the prevalence falls slightly from childhood to adulthood because some adults previously diagnosed with ADHD have learned to cope with their symptoms and do not meet the criteria for ADHD later in their lives. 

“They would not necessarily meet ‘full criteria’ for ADHD—they may still have some of the attention symptoms, but not enough to receive a diagnosis. Most research suggests that ADHD does not really ‘go away,’ but more so, adults report fewer symptoms. For instance, hyperactivity symptoms typically decrease with age,” Dr. Hammond says. 

She also notes that some people experience milder symptoms in adulthood because they’ve “learned triggers and ways to cope with their ADHD symptoms.” 

ADHD treatment statistics

The most effective ADHD treatment is a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. Stimulant medications, like Adderall (amphetamine-dextroamphetamine) or Ritalin (methylphenidate), are often prescribed first. If stimulants don’t work, a healthcare provider might try a non-stimulant medication such as atomoxetine. These medications affect dopamine and/or norepinephrine to help patients concentrate and feel less impulsive.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular form of counseling for people with ADHD. A CBT practitioner can teach people how to better recognize and respond to their thoughts and emotions. With practice, CBT can be used to develop time management strategies and organizational skills. 

ADHD treatment in adults

  • Prescription stimulant treatments are taken by one-third (33.4%) of U.S. adults with ADHD. Non-stimulant treatments are taken by only 6%. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)
  • About 1 in 3 U.S. adults with ADHD reported treating their symptoms with a stimulant medication in the last 12 months. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)
  • The majority of adults with ADHD (71.5%) reported having trouble refilling their prescription in the last 12 months due to the drug’s availability. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)
  • Telehealth ADHD treatments have only ever been used by about 50% of adults with the disorder. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024) 
  • More than 36% of adults with ADHD say they’re neither taking medication nor seeing a counselor to treat their symptoms, but nearly the same percentage (35.2%) said they were receiving both types of treatment. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)
  • About 15% said they were only taking medication to treat their ADHD symptoms, and 13% said they were only receiving counseling. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2024)

ADHD treatment in children

  • Nearly 3 in 4 children with ADHD have received medication for it within the last 12 months, and about 91% reported ever taking ADHD medication. (Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • About 44% received behavioral counseling within the last 12 months. (Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • Children ages 4–17 who receive counseling for ADHD are most likely to receive social skills training (39%). (Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • One in 5 children with ADHD receives cognitive behavioral therapy. (Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • A smaller percentage of children receive alternative ADHD treatments like neurofeedback (11%) and dietary supplements (9%). (Journal of Pediatrics, 2018)
  • Nebraskan children ages 3–17 are most likely to take ADHD medication (81.4%), while Nevadan children are least likely (37.8%). (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2023)
  • Nebraskan children are also most likely to receive behavioral therapy for ADHD (61.8%), while children in Tennessee are least likely to receive it (38.8%). (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2023)