About 0.9% of US adults report an autism diagnosis. Among autistic individuals, 25% experienced anxiety in the past week. These figures highlight a complex profile of health outcomes and societal impacts.
Key Takeaways
- 0.9% of adults in the US reported ever being told they had ASD or autism (NHIS data reported by CDC/NCHS).
- 25% of autistic people reported experiencing anxiety in the past week (peer-reviewed meta-analysis figure for anxiety prevalence in autism).
- 31% of autistic individuals have an anxiety disorder diagnosis (meta-analysis estimate).
- 22% of autistic individuals have ADHD (meta-analysis estimate).
- A meta-analysis reported that ASD is associated with increased odds of epilepsy (pooled odds ratio reported).
- A Danish national register study reported an autism (including previously Asperger’s) prevalence rising to 1.0% by 2016 in children (peer-reviewed register study).
- In a large cohort meta-analysis, advanced parental age (father ≥40) increased autism risk (pooled relative risk ~1.3 range).
- About 40% of children with ASD had a developmental evaluation by age 3 (CDC/NCHS analysis).
- 20–30% of autistic children experience regression in language/social skills (systematic review range).
- Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is typically delivered for 25–40 hours per week in clinical protocols (clinical review).
- In the US, autism-related costs were estimated at $268 billion in 2015 (peer-reviewed/official estimate used widely in policy reports).
- In the US, autism-related costs were estimated at $461 billion for 2020 (Autism Speaks estimate citing a methodology applied to 2020).
- Autistic adults have an unemployment rate of about 25% (US national estimates summarized in a peer-reviewed analysis).
Autism affects many more outcomes than diagnosis, with anxiety, ADHD, and epilepsy common and major economic costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence1 stats
01
0.9% of adults in the US reported ever being told they had ASD or autism (NHIS data reported by CDC/NCHS).
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
In the prevalence category, about 0.9% of US adults report ever being told they had ASD or autism, suggesting that the condition remains relatively uncommon but clearly present in the adult population.
02 · Category
Health Outcomes5 stats
01
25% of autistic people reported experiencing anxiety in the past week (peer-reviewed meta-analysis figure for anxiety prevalence in autism).
02
31% of autistic individuals have an anxiety disorder diagnosis (meta-analysis estimate).
03
22% of autistic individuals have ADHD (meta-analysis estimate).
04
8% of autistic individuals have schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder (meta-analysis estimate).
05
In that same Swedish cohort analysis, the absolute suicide risk was 1.2% (peer-reviewed cohort study).
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
In the health outcomes picture for autistic people, anxiety is especially prominent with 25% reporting anxiety in the past week and 31% having an anxiety disorder diagnosis, while other comorbidities like ADHD at 22% and schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder at 8% also add to the overall burden, and suicide risk in a Swedish cohort stands at 1.2%.
03 · Category
Research & Risk7 stats
01
A meta-analysis reported that ASD is associated with increased odds of epilepsy (pooled odds ratio reported).
02
A Danish national register study reported an autism (including previously Asperger’s) prevalence rising to 1.0% by 2016 in children (peer-reviewed register study).
03
In a large cohort meta-analysis, advanced parental age (father ≥40) increased autism risk (pooled relative risk ~1.3 range).
04
Prenatal exposure to valproate during pregnancy was associated with a substantially increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (systematic review; pooled RR reported).
05
A large cohort study reported that maternal diabetes increased ASD risk by about 1.5 times (pooled hazard/relative risk reported).
06
In a systematic review, approximately 30% of autistic individuals experience sleep disturbances (meta-analysis).
07
A systematic review estimated that 40% of autistic individuals have gastrointestinal symptoms (meta-analysis).
Interpretation
Research & Risk Interpretation
Research in the “Research & Risk” area consistently points to meaningful, measurable health and exposure-related risks for autism, including about a 30% prevalence of sleep disturbances, higher odds of epilepsy, and increased ASD risk from factors like maternal diabetes (around a 1.5-fold rise) and prenatal valproate exposure, alongside a rising prevalence that reached about 1.0% by 2016 in Danish children.
More related reading
04 · Category
Diagnosis & Care3 stats
01
About 40% of children with ASD had a developmental evaluation by age 3 (CDC/NCHS analysis).
02
20–30% of autistic children experience regression in language/social skills (systematic review range).
03
Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is typically delivered for 25–40 hours per week in clinical protocols (clinical review).
Interpretation
Diagnosis & Care Interpretation
In the diagnosis and care of autism, only about 40% of children get a developmental evaluation by age 3, even though 20% to 30% may show regression in language or social skills and early intensive behavioral intervention is usually provided at 25 to 40 hours per week, underscoring a gap between early identification and the level of support many protocols require.
05 · Category
Socioeconomic Impact7 stats
01
In the US, autism-related costs were estimated at $268 billion in 2015 (peer-reviewed/official estimate used widely in policy reports).
02
In the US, autism-related costs were estimated at $461 billion for 2020 (Autism Speaks estimate citing a methodology applied to 2020).
03
Autistic adults have an unemployment rate of about 25% (US national estimates summarized in a peer-reviewed analysis).
04
In a meta-analysis, autistic people have lower employment rates than non-autistic people (odds ratio 0.42 reported).
05
In that US expenditure analysis, total annual ASD-related expenditures were $4,110per child (MEPS-based analysis).
06
Caregiver productivity loss associated with autism was estimated at $1,153per month (US analysis reported in a peer-reviewed paper).
07
A 2020 systematic review found that caregiver burden is consistently higher for autism compared with other developmental conditions (pooled evidence across studies).
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Impact Interpretation
Across the socioeconomic impact of Aspergers, the estimated US costs rose from $268 billion in 2015 to $461 billion in 2020 while autistic adults face about a 25% unemployment rate, and the combined burden shows up as roughly $4,110 per child in annual ASD spending plus about $1,153 per month in caregiver productivity loss.
report visual · Comparison
Key ASD/Autism Co-occurring Challenges
Among autistic individuals, anxiety and common co-occurring conditions are reported at substantial rates.
31% of autistic individuals have an anxiety disorder diagnosis (meta-analysis estimate).31%
25% of autistic people reported experiencing anxiety in the past week (peer-reviewed meta-analysis figure for anxiety pr
25%
22% of autistic individuals have ADHD (meta-analysis estimate).
22%
In that same Swedish cohort analysis, the absolute suicide risk was 1.2% (peer-reviewed cohort study).
1.2%
source-verifiedncbi.nlm.nih.gov · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · jamanetwork.com
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Aspergers Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aspergers-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Aspergers Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aspergers-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Aspergers Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aspergers-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)