Data & Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Prevalence

  • About 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. [Read article]
  • ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. [Read article]
  • ASD is nearly 4 times more common among boys than among girls. [Read article]
  • About 1 in 6 (17%) children aged 3–17 years were diagnosed with a developmental disability, as reported by parents, during a study period of 2009-2017. These included autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, blindness, and cerebral palsy, among others. [Read summary]

Identified Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder

ADDM Network 2000-2020 Combining Data from All Sites

Identified Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder ADDM Network 2000-2020, combining data from all sites
Surveillance Year Birth Year Number of ADDM Sites Reporting Combined Prevalence per 1,000 Children (Range Across ADDM Sites) This is about 1 in X children
2020 2012 11 27.6
(23.1-44.9)
1 in 36
2018 2010 11 23.0
(16.5-38.9)
1 in 44
2016 2008 11 18.5
(18.0-19.1)
1 in 54
2014 2006 11 16.8
(13.1-29.3)
1 in 59
2012 2004 11 14.5
(8.2-24.6)
1 in 69
2010 2002 11 14.7
(5.7-21.9)
1 in 68
2008 2000 14 11.3
(4.8-21.2)
1 in 88
2006 1998 11 9.0
(4.2-12.1)
1 in 110
2004 1996 8 8.0
(4.6-9.8)
1 in 125
2002 1994 14 6.6
(3.3-10.6)
1 in 150
2000 1992 6 6.7
(4.5-9.9)
1 in 150

Autism Prevalence Studies Data Table
A collection of information from peer-reviewed autism prevalence studies

Glossary

Prevalence is the number of people in a population that have a condition relative to all of the people in the population. Prevalence is typically shown as a percent (e.g. 1%) or a proportion (e.g. 1 in 100).

2023 Community Report on Autism. The latest ADDM Network Data