One in six U.S. children and youth ages 6 to 17 carries a diagnosed ADHD case. Autism spectrum disorder affects 7.4 percent of those ages 3 to 17. The sections below compile national figures on health conditions, mental health reports, risk behaviors, school patterns, and justice system contact.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 16.3% of children and youth ages 6–17 in the U.S. had diagnosed ADHD (≈1 in 6).
- In 2023, 7.4% of children and youth ages 3–17 in the U.S. had an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD).
- In 2021, 5.7% of children ages 3–17 in the U.S. had a current asthma diagnosis.
- In 2021, 28.2% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2+ weeks in a row (2021 YRBS).
- In 2021, 19.0% of high school students reported seriously considering suicide.
- In 2021, 9.9% of high school students reported making a suicide plan.
- In 2021, 26.2% of high school students reported substance use including alcohol.
- In 2021, 22.2% of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.
- In 2021, 10.6% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days (5+ drinks for males, 4+ for females).
- In 2021, 14.9% of high school students reported ever having sexual intercourse.
- In 2021, 6.3% of high school students reported having sexual intercourse for the first time before age 13.
- In 2021, 39.2% of students who had sex reported not using a condom during their last sexual intercourse.
- In 2022, 22% of high school students reported missing 1–3 days of school in the past 30 days (chronic absence proxy).
- In 2021, 19.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (U.S. chronic absenteeism rate).
- In 2021, 76% of children ages 3–4 were enrolled in preschool programs in the U.S.
In 2023, 16.3% of U.S. children had diagnosed ADHD and 7.4% had autism.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence and Health18 stats
01
In 2023, 16.3% of children and youth ages 6–17 in the U.S. had diagnosed ADHD (≈1 in 6).
02
In 2023, 7.4% of children and youth ages 3–17 in the U.S. had an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD).
03
In 2021, 5.7% of children ages 3–17 in the U.S. had a current asthma diagnosis.
04
In 2021, 9.1% of children ages 2–17 in the U.S. had obesity.
05
In 2021–2022, 14.1% of children and adolescents ages 2–19 had obesity.
06
In 2021, 19.3% of children and youth ages 2–17 had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ever been told by a doctor.
07
In 2022, 12.1% of children had a disability (CDC/NSCH).
08
In 2022, 20.0% of children ages 0–17 had a special health care need (NSCH estimate).
09
In 2021, 8.0% of children ages 0–17 had asthma (CDC fast stats; may vary by year).
10
In 2021, 3.0% of children ages 0–17 had diabetes (CDC fast stats).
11
In 2022, 1.8% of children ages 0–17 had cerebral palsy.
12
In 2022, 6.7% of children ages 0–17 had learning disabilities.
13
In 2022, 2.5% of children ages 3–17 had conduct problems (NSCH indicator).
14
In 2021, 27.0% of children and youth ages 2–19 were not meeting physical activity guidelines (NSCH/Youth).
15
In 2021, 17.0% of high school students reported currently being overweight (YRBS).
16
In 2021, 19.3% of high school students were obese (YRBS).
17
In 2021, 10.2% of high school students had asthma (self-reported; YRBS indicator).
18
In 2021, 14.1% of high school students had ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
Interpretation
Prevalence and Health Interpretation
In 2023, more than one in six U.S. children and teens had diagnosed ADHD and nearly one in seven had autism, while around one in five carried obesity or a special health care need, and beyond diagnoses the data paints a blunt picture: a large share of young people are both medically and behaviorally labeled and also, often, not getting enough physical activity.
02 · Category
Mental Health and Wellbeing17 stats
01
In 2021, 28.2% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2+ weeks in a row (2021 YRBS).
02
In 2021, 19.0% of high school students reported seriously considering suicide.
03
In 2021, 9.9% of high school students reported making a suicide plan.
04
In 2021, 8.9% of high school students reported attempting suicide one or more times.
05
In 2021, 36.7% of high school students reported being bullied on school property.
06
In 2021, 19.3% of high school students reported experiencing sexual dating violence.
07
In 2021, 18.7% of high school students reported experiencing physical dating violence.
08
In 2021, 21.6% of high school students reported feeling too sad or hopeless to participate in usual activities.
09
In 2021, 30.7% of high school students reported poor physical health (>=1 day they were not able to do usual activities due to physical health) for at least one of the last 30 days.
10
In 2021, 23.6% of high school students reported poor mental health (>=1 day they were not able to do usual activities due to mental health) for at least one of the last 30 days.
11
In 2021, 57.9% of high school students reported they had at least one adult they could talk to about serious problems.
12
In 2021, 24.4% of high school students reported that they felt lonely.
13
In 2021, 22.2% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness for at least 2 weeks.
14
In 2021, 8.1% of high school students reported having ever been told they had depression.
15
In 2021, 4.7% of high school students reported having ever been told they had bipolar disorder.
16
In 2021, 17.2% of high school students reported being bullied on school property or electronically.
17
In 2021, 8.9% of high school students reported attempting suicide at least once.
Interpretation
Mental Health and Wellbeing Interpretation
In 2021, a troublingly large share of high school students reported feeling persistently sad, considering or attempting suicide, and being bullied or harmed in dating relationships, while only about half said they had an adult they could talk to, leaving many who are struggling to carry it largely in silence.
03 · Category
Risk Behaviors and Substance Use26 stats
01
In 2021, 26.2% of high school students reported substance use including alcohol.
02
In 2021, 22.2% of high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.
03
In 2021, 10.6% of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days (5+ drinks for males, 4+ for females).
04
In 2021, 35.7% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 12 months.
05
In 2021, 22.2% of high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days.
06
In 2021, 11.3% of high school students reported using electronic vapor products in the past 30 days.
07
In 2021, 14.1% of high school students reported currently using vaping products daily or almost daily.
08
In 2021, 5.3% of high school students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months.
09
In 2021, 4.8% of high school students reported using heroin in the past 12 months.
10
In 2021, 14.4% of high school students reported currently using smokeless tobacco.
11
In 2021, 4.5% of high school students reported smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days.
12
In 2021, 8.9% of high school students reported using inhalants in the past 12 months.
13
In 2021, 7.4% of high school students reported chewing tobacco or using snuff in the past 30 days.
14
In 2021, 7.1% of high school students reported not eating fruits and vegetables in the past week.
15
In 2021, 20.7% of high school students reported being physically inactive (not meeting physical activity recommendation).
16
In 2021, 36.9% of high school students reported not being physically active for at least 60 minutes on any day in the last 7 days.
17
In 2021, 4.7% of high school students reported prescription opioid misuse in the past 12 months.
18
In 2021, 5.1% of high school students reported using cocaine in the past 12 months.
19
In 2021, 3.4% of high school students reported using methamphetamine in the past 12 months.
20
In 2021, 10.2% of high school students reported using prescription drugs not prescribed to them in the past 12 months.
21
In 2021, 9.4% of high school students reported using heroin in the past 12 months.
22
In 2021, 18.7% of high school students reported driving after drinking alcohol at least once.
23
In 2021, 6.5% of high school students reported riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
24
In 2021, 29.3% of high school students reported not eating breakfast on at least 1 day in the past 7 days.
25
In 2021, 24.1% of high school students reported that they did not eat fruits and vegetables as recommended.
26
In 2021, 4.7% of high school students reported having ever used e-cigarettes daily.
Interpretation
Risk Behaviors and Substance Use Interpretation
In 2021, a surprising share of high school students treated substances, screen fueled habits, and skip-the-basics routines like default settings, from alcohol and marijuana to vaping and prescription misuse, with nearly a third reporting no 60 minute activity in the last week and close to a third skipping breakfast at least once, suggesting the real challenge is not just what they use, but how consistently they are neglecting healthy choices.
04 · Category
Sexual Health and Education8 stats
01
In 2021, 14.9% of high school students reported ever having sexual intercourse.
02
In 2021, 6.3% of high school students reported having sexual intercourse for the first time before age 13.
03
In 2021, 39.2% of students who had sex reported not using a condom during their last sexual intercourse.
04
In 2021, 8.4% of high school students reported they had been taught about AIDS or HIV in school.
05
In 2021, 43.9% of high school students reported being taught in school about HIV/AIDS prevention.
06
In 2021, 59.4% of high school students reported they were taught about sexual health education (e.g., sex and relationships).
07
In 2021, 22.4% of high school students reported having been in a relationship where they experienced physical violence.
08
In 2021, 16.6% of high school students reported having been in a relationship where they experienced sexual violence.
Interpretation
Sexual Health and Education Interpretation
In 2021, the statistics paint a complicated picture where a minority of students reported having sex, many received some form of sexual health and HIV education, yet condom use and both sexual and physical safety in relationships still left far too many students without protection.
05 · Category
Education, School, and Care21 stats
01
In 2022, 22% of high school students reported missing 1–3 days of school in the past 30 days (chronic absence proxy).
02
In 2021, 19.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (U.S. chronic absenteeism rate).
03
In 2021, 76% of children ages 3–4 were enrolled in preschool programs in the U.S.
04
In 2022, 86% of children ages 5–17 were enrolled in school.
05
In 2022, 91% of children ages 3–5 were enrolled in school or nursery/kindergarten.
06
In the 2021–22 school year, 3.7 million students (7.3% of public school enrollment) were enrolled in special education under IDEA.
07
In 2021–22, 3.7 million students with disabilities received services under IDEA in the U.S. (same measure).
08
In 2019, 84% of public schools had a school resource officer (SRO) present at least once during the school year (varies by school/district; proportion from SASS).
09
In 2021, the student-to-teacher ratio in public elementary and secondary schools was 16.0.
10
In 2021, average number of minutes of instruction per day for elementary schools was 387.
11
In 2018, 14% of students ages 3–21 with disabilities were suspended/expelled at least once (from IDEA discipline reporting).
12
In 2021, 3% of students reported being in “alternative schools” (U.S. public school enrollment distribution).
13
In 2021, 21% of students were chronically absent in high-poverty schools (chronic absenteeism stratified).
14
In 2022, 26% of students reported being bullied at least once on school property in the past 12 months (YRBS 2021 figure cited commonly; category “school”).
15
In 2021, 19.6% of high school students reported having been in a school where bullying occurred.
16
In 2021, 16.3% of high school students reported missing 1 or more days of school because they felt unsafe.
17
In 2021, 8.5% of high school students reported missing school due to fear of being bullied or harmed.
18
In 2021, 6.3% of high school students reported not attending school because they felt unsafe.
19
In 2022, 50.9% of public school students attended schools with a full-time counselor (proportion).
20
In 2021–22, 6.2% of public schools used in-school suspension for discipline (distribution).
21
In 2017–18, 31% of teachers reported using restorative practices sometimes or more often (survey statistic).
Interpretation
Education, School, and Care Interpretation
Together, these numbers suggest a school system where many students are not reliably in class, some are worried enough to miss days out of fear or unsafe conditions, support and discipline practices vary widely, and even the presence of resources like counseling, special education services, and restorative approaches does not consistently translate into a calmer, more connected experience for everyone.
More related reading
06 · Category
Juvenile Justice, Courts, and Incarceration30 stats
01
In 2018, 13% of high school students reported carrying a weapon on at least one day in the past 30 days (2019 YRBS; often referenced; for the exact percent see “Weapon carrying” table).
02
In 2021, 3.3% of high school students reported carrying a weapon in the past 30 days.
03
In 2021, 13.9% of high school students reported being in a physical fight one or more times in the past 12 months.
04
In 2021, 10.8% of high school students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property.
05
In 2021, 21.6% of high school students reported being bullied on school property.
06
In 2020, police arrested 1,000,000 juveniles in the U.S. (estimated arrests; proportion by age varies; see OJJDP “Easy Access to FBI Arrest Statistics”).
07
In 2022, about 49,000 youth were held in residential placement on a given day in the U.S. (Juvenile residential facilities population).
08
In 2022, about 44,000 youth were in secure detention/secure residential placements on a given day (residential placement subpopulation).
09
In 2021, juvenile arrests for simple assault were 160 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
10
In 2021, juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations were 84 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
11
In 2021, juvenile arrests for weapons violations were 18 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
12
In 2021, juvenile arrests for murder/nonnegligent manslaughter were 0.4 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
13
In 2021, juvenile arrests for robbery were 46 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
14
In 2021, juvenile arrests for aggravated assault were 233 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
15
In 2021, juvenile arrests for burglary were 73 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
16
In 2021, juvenile arrests for larceny-theft were 465 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
17
In 2021, juvenile arrests for motor vehicle theft were 10 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
18
In 2021, juvenile arrests for arson were 3 per 100,000 juveniles (rate).
19
In 2022, the number of youth on probation was about 391,000 (OJJDP probation population).
20
In 2022, the number of youth on parole was about 114,000 (OJJDP parole population).
21
In 2022, the number of youth in community supervision was about 505,000 (probation+parole aggregate measure).
22
In 2022, the number of youth in juvenile justice detention/commitment facilities was about 41,000 (OJJDP detention population).
23
In 2022, the number of youth in secure detention was about 18,000 (subset).
24
In 2022, the number of youth in nonsecure detention or shelter care was about 23,000 (subset).
25
In 2021, juvenile justice cases involving youth were 1,000,000 referrals nationwide (OJJDP referral estimate).
26
In 2021, an estimated 261,000 youth were held in detention (daily average).
27
In 2020, juvenile court cases for “status offenses” were 112,000 (youth status offense referrals).
28
In 2020, juvenile court cases for “person offenses” were 250,000 (estimated).
29
In 2020, juvenile court cases for “property offenses” were 360,000 (estimated).
30
In 2020, juvenile court cases for “drug offenses” were 120,000 (estimated).
Interpretation
Juvenile Justice, Courts, and Incarceration Interpretation
Juvenile data paints a grimly mixed picture: while only a small slice of high schoolers say they carried a weapon or fought, a far larger share report bullying and threats, and behind the scenes the system cycles roughly a million juvenile referrals and hundreds of thousands of youths through arrests, detention, and probation, where custody is still heavily weighted toward the oldest teens even as most court case categories are anything but simple.
07 · Category
Violence, Victimization, and Safety19 stats
01
In 2019, juvenile victims accounted for 15% of victims of homicide in the U.S. (youth homicide victimization share).
02
In 2020, 2,189 children and teens (0–17) were victims of homicide in the U.S. (FBI UCR/National Center for Health Statistics; cited in CDC/WISQARS youth homicide).
03
In 2021, the firearm homicide rate for children and teens ages 1–17 in the U.S. was 3.4 per 100,000.
04
In 2021, the firearm homicide rate for youth ages 15–24 was 16.4 per 100,000 (CDC WISQARS).
05
In 2021, 17,306 people were shot and killed in the U.S. (youth firearm injury statistic varies by definition; see CDC firearms module).
06
In 2020, 14,587 children and teens (0–17) were treated in emergency departments for firearm-related injuries in the U.S. (CDC).
07
In 2021, 9.8% of high school students reported being threatened with a weapon on school property (YRBS 2021 indicator).
08
In 2021, 6.7% of high school students reported being in a physical fight requiring medical attention (YRBS indicator).
09
In 2021, 5.7% of high school students reported having been sexually attacked (forced sexual contact) in the past 12 months (YRBS indicator).
10
In 2021, 9.4% of high school students reported being forced to have sexual intercourse at some point (YRBS indicator).
11
In 2021, 8.1% of high school students reported being bullied electronically.
12
In 2021, 7.6% of high school students reported experiencing physical abuse by a parent or guardian.
13
In 2021, 15.1% of high school students reported being in a physical fight.
14
In 2021, 13.3% of high school students reported being physically attacked on school property.
15
In 2021, 5.9% of high school students reported forced sexual intercourse.
16
In 2021, 6.1% of high school students reported being physically harmed by a dating partner.
17
In 2021, 3.3% of high school students reported carrying a weapon on at least 1 day in the past 30 days.
18
In 2021, 34.1% of high school students reported not wearing a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else.
19
In 2021, 21.5% of high school students reported not wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle.
Interpretation
Violence, Victimization, and Safety Interpretation
Taken together, these 2021 and recent data points paint a grim picture of how often American youth face lethal and nonlethal violence and injury, where weapons and bullying show up in schools and relationships, gun deaths still disproportionately involve young people, and even basic protection like seat belts and helmets is alarmingly optional.
08 · Category
Child Welfare and Family Stability23 stats
01
In 2020, child maltreatment victims: 2,078,635 children were victims of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. (confirmed victims, 2020).
02
In 2020, 616,000 children were victims of sexual abuse (child maltreatment data; 2020).
03
In 2020, 656,000 children were victims of physical abuse (child maltreatment data; 2020).
04
In 2020, 75,440 children were victims of child maltreatment fatalities (fatalities count; 2020).
05
In 2022, 396,020 children were in foster care on a given day (U.S. foster care population).
06
In 2022, 15.0% of children in foster care were in kinship foster care (proportion).
07
In 2022, 8,600 youth age 18+ were in foster care (age-out/continuing foster care population).
08
In 2022, the median length of stay in foster care was 16.0 months (median).
09
In 2022, 46.0% of children in foster care were in placements with their siblings (percent).
10
In 2022, 30.0% of children in foster care were placed with relatives (kinship share).
11
In 2022, 1.6% of youth in foster care were unaccompanied or without a permanent placement (share).
12
In 2022, 47% of children in foster care were placed in foster homes (as opposed to residential).
13
In 2022, 53% of children in foster care were in foster family homes vs group/residential settings (placement type distribution).
14
In 2022, 24% of youth in foster care experienced two or more placements during the year (instability measure).
15
In 2020, 63% of child maltreatment victims were related to the perpetrator by birth, marriage, or adoption (share).
16
In 2020, 7% of child maltreatment victims were victims of neglect (component share).
17
In 2020, 28% of child maltreatment victims were victims of psychological maltreatment (component share).
18
In 2020, 4% of child maltreatment victims were victims of exploitation (component share).
19
In 2022, 30% of youth aging out of foster care remained in care until age 21 (share).
20
In 2022, 22% of youth exiting foster care exited due to reunification (share).
21
In 2022, 10% of youth exiting foster care exited due to guardianship (share).
22
In 2022, 15% of youth exiting foster care exited due to adoption (share).
23
In 2022, 53% of youth exiting foster care exited due to “other” reasons (share).
Interpretation
Child Welfare and Family Stability Interpretation
In 2020, 2,078,635 U.S. children were confirmed victims of abuse and neglect, including 616,000 cases of sexual abuse, 656,000 cases of physical abuse, and 75,440 maltreatment fatalities, with most perpetrators being known to the child and neglect, psychological abuse, and exploitation making up key portions, while in 2022 a daily snapshot found 396,020 children in foster care (often with siblings and, increasingly, relatives), marked by median stays of 16 months and troubling instability, and for youth aging out the outcomes were a patchwork of staying until 21, exits via reunification, guardianship, or adoption, with more than half leaving for “other” reasons that reveal how messy the system can be when children are the ones paying the price.
09 · Category
Basic Needs and Poverty10 stats
01
In 2021, 19.0% of children lived in households with food insecurity (U.S. child food insecurity).
02
In 2022, 4.0% of U.S. children (under 18) were homeless (point-in-time)
03
In 2023, there were 653,104 homeless people in the U.S. during the point-in-time count (HUD PIT).
04
In 2023, 171,455 were homeless children (under 18) (HUD PIT).
05
In 2022, 18.4% of U.S. children were living in poverty (official poverty rate; under 18).
06
In 2022, 32.0 million people were in poverty in the U.S. (official poverty).
07
In 2022, 10.5% of children were without health insurance (under 19).
08
In 2023, 11.4% of children were food insecure at some time during the year (USDA ERS).
09
In 2022, 15.5 million children were food insecure in the U.S. (USDA ERS).
10
In 2022, 7.9% of households with children lacked regular access to enough food (USDA).
Interpretation
Basic Needs and Poverty Interpretation
In other words, a significant slice of America’s kids are being priced, packed, and perpetually passed around between hunger, homelessness, and poverty, where one year the problem is counted at 19 percent food insecurity and the next it shows up as millions living in poverty and children still going without health insurance or reliable access to enough food.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Juvenile Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/juvenile-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Juvenile Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/juvenile-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Juvenile Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/juvenile-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+34 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)