How Common is ADHD?

Research question: What is the global prevalence of ADHD in adults and children?

Plain-language summary

Research suggests that the prevalence of ADHD varies across different age groups and geographic locations. While there are some robust findings, estimates can differ due to various factors like diagnostic criteria and study methodologies, so it's important to take these variations into account when considering the overall picture.

Key findings

A 2024 meta-analysis (Study 1) found an overall global prevalence of ADHD of 6.7% in children and adolescents, and 6.7% in adults.
Another 2024 study (Study 4) suggests that ADHD affects approximately 5.9% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide.

Studies cited (1)

Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): systematic review and meta-analysis — Popit S, Serod K, Locatelli I (2024, European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, meta-analysis)
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1786 PMCID: PMC11536208

Based on 1 curated peer-reviewed studies (from 8 matches across PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and Europe PMC).