In 2023, 20.1% of US adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported a major depressive episode in the past year, even as schools work through persistent academic and attendance pressures. From sharp gaps in NAEP reading and math to chronic absenteeism that reaches 28.5% in grades 6 to 12, these teen statistics connect mental health, safety, and performance in ways that are harder to ignore once you see them side by side.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 85% of U.S. public high school students graduated on time
- 52% of 8th graders were proficient in reading on NAEP in 2022, down from 67% pre-pandemic
- 26% of 12th graders scored at or above proficient in math on NAEP 2022
- In 2023, 20.1% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year
- 42.3% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, up from 28% in 2011
- Suicide was the second leading cause of death among 10-14 year olds and third among 15-24 year olds in 2022
- In 2021, 19.7% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-19 years had obesity, defined as BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex
- Among U.S. high school students in 2021, 57% consumed fruit less than 2 times per day and 59% consumed vegetables less than 2 times per day on average
- In 2023, only 24% of U.S. teens aged 12-17 met the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
- In 2021, 15% of U.S. high school students were bullied on school property
- 30% of high school students had ever used marijuana in 2021
- 14% of teens aged 14-17 had sex before age 15 in 2019
- In 2023, 95% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 used YouTube daily or weekly
- 63% of teens aged 13-17 used TikTok almost constantly or several times a day in 2023
- 58% of teens have smartphones with internet access always on in 2023
From academics to mental health and screens, many U.S. teens face falling proficiency, bullying, and rising stress.
Related reading
01 · Category
Education and Academics25 stats
01
In 2022, 85% of U.S. public high school students graduated on time
02
52% of 8th graders were proficient in reading on NAEP in 2022, down from 67% pre-pandemic
03
26% of 12th graders scored at or above proficient in math on NAEP 2022
04
Chronic absenteeism affected 28.5% of students in grades 6-12 in 2021-22
05
41% of low-income high school students dropped out vs. 8% of high-income in 2022
06
15% of public school students aged 12-18 were bullied weekly in 2021
07
AP participation among high school graduates rose to 11% in 2022
08
64% of Asian/Pacific Islander students proficient in reading vs. 34% Black students in 2022 NAEP
09
22 million students aged 12-18 attend public schools with average class size 24 in 2022
10
81% of high school seniors planned postsecondary education in 2022
11
Math scores for 8th graders dropped 8 points on NAEP from 2019 to 2022
12
14% of students aged 12-18 feared attack at school in 2021
13
CTE enrollment in high school reached 8.3 million students in 2021-22
14
36% of 12th graders below basic in reading on NAEP 2022
15
Homeschooling among 12-18 year olds increased to 3.7 million in 2022-23
16
75% of schools offered at least one AP course in 2022
17
Reading proficiency for 12th graders at 31% on NAEP 2022
18
48% of high school students took Algebra II by 2019
19
Suspension rates for boys 14% vs. 5% for girls in grades 6-12 in 2020-21
20
12% of gifted students identified among 12-18 year olds in public schools 2022
21
67% of 8th grade girls below proficient in math NAEP 2022
22
Extracurricular participation 82% among high school students in 2022
23
29% chronic absenteeism in urban districts for grades 9-12 in 2021-22
24
55% of high schoolers met computer science standards in 2022
25
19% of students aged 12-18 reported cyberbullying in 2021
Interpretation
Education and Academics Interpretation
While the front door of American high schools proudly proclaims "Most Students Graduate On Time," a sobering peek inside reveals a deeply fractured house where chronic absenteeism, plummeting math scores, and vast racial and economic divides in proficiency suggest we're handing out diplomas for a foundation that's crumbling.
02 · Category
Mental Health26 stats
01
In 2023, 20.1% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year
02
42.3% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, up from 28% in 2011
03
Suicide was the second leading cause of death among 10-14 year olds and third among 15-24 year olds in 2022
04
37% of high school girls and 29% of boys seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021
05
22% of youth aged 12-17 had severe major depressive disorder in 2023
06
32.7% of adolescents experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year in 2022
07
In 2021, 10% of high school students attempted suicide, with 14% of girls vs. 7% of boys
08
57.5% of LGBTQ+ teens seriously considered suicide in the past year in 2022
09
18.8% of U.S. youth aged 12-17 had a substance use disorder with co-occurring mental illness in 2021
10
35% of teen girls aged 12-17 had a mental health disorder in 2023
11
In 2022, 1 in 5 adolescents aged 12-17 received mental health treatment
12
48% of high school students reported poor mental health in the past 30 days in 2021
13
Self-harm rates among teens aged 10-24 increased 7.5% annually from 2009-2019
14
31% of teens aged 13-18 with depression received treatment in 2022
15
In 2023, 25.6% of youth aged 12-17 had an anxiety disorder
16
16% of high school students had a suicide plan in 2021
17
ADHD affected 11.4% of adolescents aged 12-17 in 2022
18
40% of teens reported emotional abuse from caregivers linked to mental health issues in 2021
19
Bipolar disorder prevalence among 12-17 year olds was 2.9% in 2023
20
27.2% of girls aged 12-17 had an anxiety disorder vs. 14.9% of boys in 2022
21
13.3% of U.S. high school students missed school due to feeling unsafe in 2021
22
PTSD affected 5.7% of adolescents in the past year in 2023
23
36% of teens with mental illness did not receive treatment in 2022
24
OCD prevalence in 13-18 year olds was 1.5%-2.4% in 2021
25
22.4% of high school students reported frequent poor mental health in 2023
26
9% of teens aged 12-17 had co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in 2021
Interpretation
Mental Health Interpretation
One would hope that youth is a carefree season of exploration, yet these statistics paint a grim portrait of a generation drowning under the silent, weighty burdens of depression, anxiety, and despair, with the systems meant to support them woefully outmatched by the scale of the crisis.
03 · Category
Physical Health30 stats
01
In 2021, 19.7% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-19 years had obesity, defined as BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex
02
Among U.S. high school students in 2021, 57% consumed fruit less than 2 times per day and 59% consumed vegetables less than 2 times per day on average
03
In 2023, only 24% of U.S. teens aged 12-17 met the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
04
76% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-19 reported sleeping less than 8 hours per night on school nights in 2021
05
In 2022, 15.3% of U.S. youth aged 12-17 had asthma, with higher rates among Black teens at 18.2%
06
12% of U.S. high school students in 2021 reported using tobacco products, with 8.1% vaping nicotine
07
In 2020, 14.8% of adolescents aged 12-19 in the U.S. had high blood pressure
08
22% of U.S. teens aged 13-18 reported poor oral health, including cavities or gum disease, in 2022
09
In 2021, 9.4% of U.S. high school students had type 2 diabetes risk factors like prediabetes
10
35% of U.S. adolescents aged 12-19 consumed sugar-sweetened beverages daily in 2019
11
In 2023, 28% of teen girls aged 12-17 in the U.S. were underweight or at risk for eating disorders
12
41% of U.S. high school students played video or computer games 3 or more hours per school day in 2021, linked to sedentary behavior
13
In 2022, 17.5% of U.S. teens aged 12-19 had eczema, with severity impacting daily activities for 6.1%
14
8.2% of U.S. adolescents reported binge eating in the past year in 2021
15
In 2020, only 14% of U.S. teens aged 12-17 participated in daily PE classes
16
24.2% of Hispanic teens aged 12-19 had obesity rates higher than non-Hispanic white teens at 15.3% in 2021
17
In 2023, 31% of U.S. high school boys reported no muscle-strengthening activities on 3+ days/week
18
55% of teen girls aged 12-17 reported inadequate calcium intake for bone health in 2022
19
In 2021, 10.5% of U.S. adolescents had iron deficiency anemia
20
29% of U.S. teens aged 13-18 skipped breakfast daily in 2020
21
In 2022, 16.1% of Black teens had obesity compared to 12.6% of white teens aged 12-19
22
42% of U.S. high school students consumed fast food daily in 2021
23
In 2023, 20% of teens aged 12-17 reported chronic headaches linked to poor sleep
24
7.8% of U.S. adolescents had diagnosed hypertension in 2020
25
In 2021, 33% of teen athletes aged 13-18 sustained sports injuries requiring medical attention
26
25.4% of Asian American teens had lower obesity rates than other groups in 2021
27
In 2022, 11% of U.S. high school students had three or more chronic health conditions
28
48% of teens aged 12-17 drank soda daily in 2019
29
In 2023, 22.5% of U.S. adolescents reported vision problems not corrected by glasses
30
18% of teen girls aged 13-18 experienced menstrual irregularities in 2022
Interpretation
Physical Health Interpretation
The portrait of American teen health is a concerning collage of missed meals, sleepless nights, excessive screen time, and nutritional gaps, painting a picture of a generation being quietly, statistically, undermined by their daily habits.
More related reading
05 · Category
Technology and Media Use25 stats
01
In 2023, 95% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 used YouTube daily or weekly
02
63% of teens aged 13-17 used TikTok almost constantly or several times a day in 2023
03
58% of teens have smartphones with internet access always on in 2023
04
46% of teens aged 13-17 used Instagram several times daily in 2023
05
Average teen screen time non-school was 8.39 hours/day for ages 13-18 in 2023
06
67% of teens used Snapchat several times a day in 2023
07
16% of teens were online almost constantly in 2023, up from 13% in 2022
08
93% of teens have access to a computer at home in 2023
09
Girls were more likely than boys to use TikTok (68% vs. 58%) several times daily in 2023
10
32% of teens used social media almost constantly, with Black teens at 44% in 2023
11
85% of teens used YouTube, 59% TikTok, 51% Instagram as top platforms in 2023
12
72% of teens played video games, 24% almost constantly in 2023
13
89% of teens aged 13-17 used social media in 2023
14
Teens spent 4.8 hours/day on social media in 2023 per Common Sense
15
19% of teens worried about too much social media time daily in 2023
16
97% of teens play video games on some device in 2023
17
Black teens 76% use TikTok several times daily vs. 58% white in 2023
18
53% of teens used Snapchat, 51% Instagram in 2023
19
1 in 6 teens used nearly all 8 major platforms in 2023
20
Boys more likely to play video games almost constantly (28% vs. 20% girls) 2023
21
75% of teens read long-form news online weekly, often via social media 2023
22
62% of teens got news from TikTok in 2023
23
Average daily video streaming for teens 13-18 was 2.6 hours in 2023
24
40% of teens felt overwhelmed by social media notifications daily 2023
25
82% of teens have smartphone by age 12-13 in 2023
Interpretation
Technology and Media Use Interpretation
It appears the modern teen is a media-savvy, perpetually connected, and slightly overwhelmed digital native whose job is to curate an online presence across eight different platforms, a job for which they are paid exclusively in notifications and algorithmic dopamine.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Teens Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teens-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Teens Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/teens-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Teens Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/teens-statistics.
Sources & references
11 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level