The worldwide prevalence of ADHD in adults is estimated to be between 2% and 5%. In Sweden, ADHD in adults has been reported to account for 2.7% of all psychiatric diagnoses.
The highest rates emerged from Africa (8.5%) and South America (11.8%). Corroboration comes from a dimensional ADHD scale used in 21 countries. Japanese and Finnish children scored lowest, Jamaican and Thai children scored highest, and American children scored about average (7).
In Norway, 3.8 per cent of all children have received an ADHD diagnosis by twelve years of age. The proportion varies a lot between counties, which is probably due to regional differences in diagnostic practice. 5 times as many boys as girls are diagnosed.
The prevalence rates of ADHD in children and adolescents are high with estimates of 5.3 % [45] to 5.9 % [59] worldwide and 4.6 % for Europe [45]. Similar prevalence rates of approximately 5 % were observed for adults with ADHD worldwide [59].
It is estimated that approximately 2.8 percent of the world's adult population meets the requirements for a diagnosis of ADHD. If that is the case, around 135,000 adults in Denmark meet the criteria for the diagnosis.
In Sweden, ADHD in adults has been reported to account for 2.7% of all psychiatric diagnoses. In general, it is thought that <20% of patients with ADHD are formally diagnosed, and only a small proportion receive pharmacologic treatment for their condition.
The CDC study, reported in March of this year, found overall, 14% of children 3-17 have ever been diagnosed with either ADHD or learning disability, including 17% of Black children, 15% of white children and 12% of Hispanic children. (See chart.)
Around 1 in every 20 Australians has ADHD. While ADHD is more common in boys — it's under diagnosed in girls and adults. More than 3 in 4 children diagnosed with ADHD still have symptoms as an adult.
ADHD is the most prevalent mental disorder affecting children in Australia – it affects approximately 281,200 Australian children and adolescents (aged 0-19) In Australia ADHD is currently under-diagnosed, particularly in girls and in the adult population.
Rather, the rise seems to be due to an increase in access to healthcare; a decrease in stigmatization about receiving mental health care; and greater awareness of the symptoms of ADHD among clinicians, guardians, educators, and patients. In the past, ADHD was only diagnosed in children who were hyperactive.
Overall, 4.4% of children and adolescents have been diagnosed with ADHD in Germany.
The research confirmed previous studies showing ADHD was found more often in whites than Asians, blacks, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders. The analysis found yearly increases of ADHD prevalence among all ethnic groups studied, including a three-fold increase in Asians, from 0.11% to 0.35% of the study population.
More than 9.4 percent of children (6.1 million) between ages 2 to 17 in the U.S. have an ADHD diagnosis. ADHD is more prevalent in children than adults, with about 9.4% of children having a current diagnosis compared to 4.4% of adults. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
ADHD can reduce life expectancy by as much as 13 years, but its risk is reversible.
According to a meta- analysis in 2018, 5.6% of Chinese children are living with ADHD[6]. The overall prevalence of ADHD in China is 6.3%[7].
ADHD is also three times more common in males than females, and subtypes tend to have a different prevalence. Due to this discrepancy in the prevalence of ADHD among males and females, researchers have undertaken studies to explore the sex differences in ADHD and the possible cause of the discrepancy.
ADHD: a disabling condition
It is recognized as a disability under the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act.
It's estimated one in 20 children in Australia have ADHD. It is more common in boys than girls. The exact causes of ADHD are unknown, but it tends to run in families, so genes play some part. ADHD is not caused by poor parenting.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
ADHD Prevalence in Adults
The worldwide prevalence of adult ADHD is estimated at 2.8 percent, according to a 2020 study. Prevalence estimates for adult ADHD in the U.S. vary.
Is ADHD considered a disability? Yes, ADHD is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). There are several types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disability.
Does Socioeconomic Status Affect ADHD Diagnosis? One study found that kids who live in families below the federal poverty level are more likely to get an ADHD diagnosis compared to kids who don't. Another suggested the same. More specifically, the risk of diagnosis doubles for children of low socioeconomic status.
ADHD is estimated to affect around 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these estimates can vary depending on the criteria used for diagnosis and the population studied.
European institutions now estimate that at least 3.3 million children (1 in 20) in the European Union have ADHD.