Gitnux/Report 2026

Teenage Statistics

Teens are graduating on time at a 73% clip, yet only 26% of 8th graders are math proficient and 56% meet all ELA math readiness benchmarks, a gap you will feel in every next step. The page also pairs record teen aspirations for college with sobering realities like 52% too sleepy to think clearly, 25% chronic absenteeism, and 42% reporting persistent sadness, plus the role screens and social pressure play in the day to day.
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Teenage Statistics
Marcus EngströmWritten by Marcus Engström·Edited by Kevin O'Brien·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Last verified Jun 14, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Dec 2026
Teen life is a mix of big ambitions and sharp tradeoffs, and the contrast is hard to ignore. Just 26% of high schoolers land in 3+ AP or IB or honors courses, yet 84% of public students still graduate on time, leaving plenty of room to ask what happens in between. At the same time, 95% of teens use the internet daily while 56% of students meet all four ELA and math readiness benchmarks, so performance, mental health, and screen life do not move in the same direction.

Key Takeaways

  • 73% of US high school students graduate on time per NCES 2020-21
  • 84% adjusted cohort graduation rate for public high schools per NCES 2021
  • 56% of high school students met all 4 ELA/math readiness benchmarks per NAEP 2022
  • According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 57% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the previous year, with females reporting 72% compared to 45% for males
  • The CDC reports that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months in 2021 YRBS, rising from 16% in 2011
  • 10% of high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year per 2021 YRBS, with Hispanic students at 12% and female students at 13%
  • Obesity affects 20.7% of adolescents aged 12-19 per CDC 2017-2020 NHANES
  • 8.4% of high school students had asthma currently per YRBS 2021
  • 44% of high school students got 8+ hours of sleep on school nights per YRBS 2021
  • 12% of 12th graders smoke cigarettes daily per MTF 2022
  • 30% of high school students in physical fight past year per YRBS 2021
  • 8% seriously injured requiring medical care from fight per YRBS 2021
  • 57% of high school students played video or computer games 3+ hours on average school day per YRBS 2021
  • 59% of US teens use TikTok daily per Pew 2022
  • 67% of teens use YouTube almost constantly or several times a day per Pew 2023

Many teens face mental health and learning struggles despite high graduation rates and big college ambitions.

Related reading

01 · Category

Education and Academics27 stats

01
73% of US high school students graduate on time per NCES 2020-21
02
84% adjusted cohort graduation rate for public high schools per NCES 2021
03
56% of high school students met all 4 ELA/math readiness benchmarks per NAEP 2022
04
Average NAEP math score for 8th graders 2022 was 236, down 8 points from 2019
05
26% of 8th graders proficient in math per NAEP 2022
06
31% of 12th graders proficient in reading per NAEP 2022
07
52% of high school students felt too sleepy to think clearly during the day per YRBS 2021
08
70% of teens aspire to college per Pew 2019
09
57% of low-income students graduate high school per NCES
10
93% for high-income students per NCES 2021
11
65% of 2020 high school grads immediately enrolled in college per NCES
12
42% of high school students used electronic devices 5+ hours schoolwork per YRBS 2021
13
Chronic absenteeism affected 25% of students in 2021-22 per NCES
14
15% of high school students skipped school 2+ days past month per YRBS 2021
15
74% of 12th graders report B or higher GPA per Monitoring the Future 2022
16
80% of Asian students proficient in reading vs 35% Black per NAEP 2022
17
33% of students with disabilities proficient in math per NAEP 2022
18
AP participation 50% among class of 2023 per College Board
19
60% pass rate on AP exams per College Board 2023
20
22% of high school students in 3+ AP/IB/honors courses per NCES 2021
21
86% of teachers say cell phones distract students per NMSC 2023
22
64% of 8th graders below basic in math per NAEP 2022
23
40% of students report bullying at school per NCES 2021
24
95% of teens use internet daily per Pew 2021
25
49% of rural teens lack broadband per Pew 2021
26
67% of high school students C average or lower per YRBS 2021
27
16% D/F average per YRBS 2021 high school
Interpretation

Education and Academics Interpretation

While we're managing to graduate more students on paper, the system is clearly producing a lot of sleepy, stressed, and under-prepared young adults who are chasing college dreams with alarmingly uneven support and widely varying readiness.

02 · Category

Mental Health30 stats

01
According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 57% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the previous year, with females reporting 72% compared to 45% for males
02
The CDC reports that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months in 2021 YRBS, rising from 16% in 2011
03
10% of high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year per 2021 YRBS, with Hispanic students at 12% and female students at 13%
04
Pew Research Center found that 46% of teens aged 13-17 felt worse about their own life due to social media in 2022
05
NIMH data indicates that 20.1% of adolescents aged 12-17 had a major depressive episode in 2021
06
32% of teen girls aged 13-17 reported using anxiety or depression medication in the past year per 2023 KFF survey
07
CDC YRBS 2021 shows 42% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless, up 9% from 2019
08
35% of LGBTQ+ high school students considered suicide in 2021 YRBS, compared to 14% of heterosexual students
09
Anxiety disorders affect 31.9% of adolescents aged 13-18 per NIMH lifetime prevalence data
10
18.8% of youth aged 12-17 experienced a substance use disorder in 2021 per SAMHSA
11
24% of teens reported high levels of psychological distress in 2022 Australian study
12
WHO states that 10-20% of adolescents worldwide experience mental health conditions
13
37% of teen girls felt persistently sad in 2021 YRBS
14
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-14 year olds per CDC 2021 data
15
16% of high school students made a suicide plan in 2021 YRBS
16
14% of high school students experienced homelessness in 2021 YRBS, linked to mental health issues
17
26% of teens with two or more ACEs had poor mental health per CDC
18
50% of mental health disorders begin by age 14 per WHO
19
21% of adolescents aged 12-17 had a past-year major depressive episode per NSDUH 2020
20
Teen girls' depression rates doubled from 2009-2019 per JAMA Pediatrics
21
44% of high school girls considered suicide in 2021 YRBS
22
19% of teens report cyberbullying victimization linked to mental health per Pew 2022
23
ADHD affects 9.4% of children aged 13-18 per NIMH
24
11% of high school students injected drugs in lifetime per 2021 YRBS, tied to mental health
25
30% of teens with depression do not receive treatment per CDC
26
Eating disorders prevalence is 2.8% lifetime for adolescents per NIMH
27
15% of high school students missed school due to feeling unsafe, impacting mental health per YRBS 2021
28
Bipolar disorder affects 2.9% of adolescents aged 13-18 per NIMH
29
40% of teens report stress from school affecting mental health per APA 2022
30
PTSD prevalence is 5% among adolescents per NIMH
Interpretation

Mental Health Interpretation

If the data were a yearbook quote for this generation, it would sadly read: "Most Likely to Feel Hopeless, with Anxiety as our plus-one and a society that keeps handing us the bill."

03 · Category

Physical Health30 stats

01
Obesity affects 20.7% of adolescents aged 12-19 per CDC 2017-2020 NHANES
02
8.4% of high school students had asthma currently per YRBS 2021
03
44% of high school students got 8+ hours of sleep on school nights per YRBS 2021
04
15% of adolescents aged 12-19 have high blood pressure per CDC NHANES 2017-2018
05
21% of high school students were obese per YRBS 2021
06
Only 24% of high school students met fruit intake guidelines per CDC
07
14% met vegetable intake guidelines per CDC youth data
08
53% of high school students were physically active 60+ minutes daily per YRBS 2021
09
85% of high school students drank soda one or more times per day per YRBS 2019
10
Type 2 diabetes prevalence in youth aged 10-19 is 0.46 per 1,000 per CDC SEARCH
11
11.3% of adolescents have fair or poor health per NHIS 2020
12
Concussions reported by 14.4% of high school students in sports per YRBS 2021
13
36% of teens aged 12-19 have dental caries experience per CDC OHIS
14
HPV vaccination coverage is 59% for girls aged 13-17 per CDC 2021
15
60% coverage for boys aged 13-17 per CDC 2021 HPV data
16
9.2% of youth aged 12-17 have eczema per CDC 2021
17
19% of high school girls were overweight per YRBS 2021
18
24% of high school boys were overweight per YRBS 2021
19
Only 27% of adolescents meet aerobic activity guidelines per CDC 2019
20
76% of high school students used electronic vapor products in lifetime per YRBS 2021
21
82% lifetime alcohol use among high school students per YRBS 2021
22
29.2% current marijuana use among high school students per YRBS 2021
23
55% of adolescents aged 12-19 consume less than 100% DV calcium per NHANES
24
Iron deficiency affects 14% of adolescents aged 12-19 per NHANES 2011-2012
25
12.5% of youth have myopia per CDC Vision data
26
7% of teens have diagnosed diabetes per NHANES
27
80% of high school students had sexual intercourse by grade 12 per YRBS
28
30% high school students currently sexually active per YRBS 2021
29
51% of high school students who had sex used condom at last intercourse per YRBS 2021
30
22% of 9th graders had sexual intercourse per YRBS 2021
Interpretation

Physical Health Interpretation

Teens are running on soda fumes and insufficient sleep, fighting off everything from cavities to concussions, while their collective diet is so lacking in fruit and vegetables that you'd think they were allergic to color, yet over half of them manage to be physically active—a testament to youthful resilience operating in spite of itself.

More related reading

04 · Category

Social and Behavioral30 stats

01
12% of 12th graders smoke cigarettes daily per MTF 2022
02
30% of high school students in physical fight past year per YRBS 2021
03
8% seriously injured requiring medical care from fight per YRBS 2021
04
15% carried weapon on school property past month per YRBS 2021
05
7% missed school due to feeling unsafe at school per YRBS 2021
06
20% bullied on school property past year per YRBS 2021
07
35% electronically bullied past year per YRBS 2021
08
11% forced to have sexual intercourse per YRBS 2021
09
14% experienced sexual violence by peer per YRBS 2021
10
46% of high school students had 4+ lifetime sexual partners per YRBS 2021
11
10% currently drink alcohol daily per YRBS 2021
12
29% binge drank past month per YRBS 2021
13
11% used cocaine past month per YRBS 2021
14
5% used heroin lifetime per YRBS 2021
15
14% drove after drinking per YRBS 2021
16
24% rode with drinking driver per YRBS 2021
17
67% of 12th graders used alcohol past year per MTF 2022
18
48% used illicit drugs past year per MTF 2022 12th graders
19
31% vaped nicotine past year per MTF 2022
20
15% of teens report frequent sadness linked to peer issues per CDC
21
42% of girls experienced persistent sadness per YRBS 2021
22
25% of high school students smoke cigarettes lifetime per YRBS 2021
23
76% vaped nicotine lifetime per YRBS 2021
24
50% of 10th graders used alcohol past month per MTF 2022
25
19% of 8th graders vaped per MTF 2022
26
6% sold illegal drugs past year per YRBS 2021
27
5% stole from store past year per YRBS 2021
28
4% used methamphetamines lifetime per YRBS 2021
29
21% of LGBTQ+ students felt unsafe at school per YRBS 2021
30
27% of Hispanic students in physical fights per YRBS 2021
Interpretation

Social and Behavioral Interpretation

It is a statistical portrait of adolescence that reads less like a yearbook and more like a cautionary tale, where the rites of passage are too often marked by violence, substance abuse, and a profound, often hidden, sadness.

05 · Category

Technology and Media Usage30 stats

01
57% of high school students played video or computer games 3+ hours on average school day per YRBS 2021
02
59% of US teens use TikTok daily per Pew 2022
03
67% of teens use YouTube almost constantly or several times a day per Pew 2023
04
58% of teens use Instagram daily per Pew 2022
05
95% of teens have smartphone access per Pew 2022
06
46% of teens are online almost constantly per Pew 2022
07
32% of teens use Snapchat daily per Pew 2022
08
20% use TikTok almost constantly per Pew 2023
09
16% are online almost constantly on YouTube per Pew 2023
10
89% of teens use YouTube per Pew 2023
11
62% use TikTok per Pew 2023
12
83% of girls use TikTok vs 41% boys per Pew 2023
13
71% use Instagram per Pew 2023
14
51% use Snapchat per Pew 2023
15
33% use Facebook per Pew 2023
16
17% use Twitter/X per Pew 2023
17
10% use BeReal per Pew 2023
18
63% of teens experienced a social media account hack per Pew 2023
19
41% say social media makes them feel more accepted per Pew 2023
20
32% feel worse about body image due to social media per Pew 2023
21
25% of high school students texted or emailed 3+ hours daily per YRBS 2021
22
19% played video games 4+ hours on school nights per YRBS 2021
23
72% of teens have smartphone by age 12 per Common Sense Media 2022
24
Teens average 8.2 hours recreational screen time daily per Common Sense 2021
25
67% of teens worry about social media time per Common Sense 2021
26
54% of teens use social media for news per Pew 2023
27
81% find it hard to give up social media per Pew 2023
28
38% of teens experienced cyberbullying per Pew 2022
29
48% feel worse about social media pressure per Pew 2022
30
97% of teens play video games per Pew 2022
Interpretation

Technology and Media Usage Interpretation

While a teen’s world is built of glowing screens, the blue light reveals a generation perpetually performing, perpetually connected, yet grappling with anxiety, hacks, and body image under the ever-present digital curtain call.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Teenage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Teenage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teenage-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Teenage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teenage-statistics.

Sources & references

14 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

cdc.govpewresearch.orgnimh.nih.govkff.orgsamhsa.govaihw.gov.auwho.intjamanetwork.comapa.orgcommonsensemedia.orgnces.ed.govmonitoringthefuture.orgreports.collegeboard.orgnmsc.org