Estimated global autism prevalence, 2021.
Global • All ages • 2021
Source: WHO / GBD 2021
GARC / DATA & EVIDENCE
Autism Data & Global Indicators
An evidence-informed view of autism prevalence, global burden, surveillance trends and research data gaps.
Global estimates
Estimated number of people on the autism spectrum globally in 2021.
95% uncertainty interval: 52.1–72.7 millionGlobal • All ages • 2021
Source: GBD 2021
Global age-standardised autism prevalence in 2021.
95% uncertainty interval: 663.8–927.2Global • All ages • 2021
Source: GBD 2021
Autism prevalence remains insufficiently characterised in many low- and middle-income countries.
Global • Evidence gaps • WHO 2025
Source: WHO · 2025
Global estimates, visualised
Explore the global population estimate and its uncertainty. All figures refer to 2021; each chart retains its own population and measurement unit.
Autism in the global population
Estimated autism share · ≈0.79%
Approximate shares calculated from WHO’s rounded “1 in 127” estimate: 100 ÷ 127 and its complement. This is a global all-age illustration, not the age-standardised rate or a count of assessed individuals.
Global • All ages • 2021
Source: WHO / GBD 2021
The dot marks the central estimate; the line shows the 95% uncertainty interval. This range reflects uncertainty in the model, not a change between years.
Global prevalence by sex
Age-standardised rates with uncertainty
Age-standardised estimates per 100,000 people of the same sex. These are rates, not shares of the autistic population; the intervals reflect modelling uncertainty.
Males1,064.7
95% uncertainty interval: 898.5–1,245.7
Females508.1
95% uncertainty interval: 424.6–604.3
The dot marks the central estimate; the line shows the 95% uncertainty interval. This range reflects uncertainty in the model, not a change between years.
Global • All ages • 2021
Source: GBD 2021
Global autism burden
Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), 2021.
95% uncertainty interval: 7.8–16.3 millionGlobal • All ages • 2021
Source: GBD 2021
Global age-standardised DALY rate, 2021.
95% uncertainty interval: 100.2–208.2Global • All ages • 2021
Source: GBD 2021
DALYs are a population-level health-burden measure, not a count of people or a judgment of a person’s value. The GBD autism estimate measures non-fatal burden; it does not separately attribute deaths to autism.
Selected national surveillance example1 in 31 3.2% >3× 1 / 103 — 1 / 19
United States — CDC ADDM Network
8-year-old children identified with autism across 16 ADDM Network communities in 2022.
United States • 8-year-olds • 16 communities • 2022
Source: CDC ADDM Network
Boys were more than three times as likely as girls to be identified.
United States • 8-year-olds • 16 communities • 2022
Source: CDC ADDM Network
Site variation: approximately 1 in 103 to 1 in 19 across individual ADDM sites.
United States • 8-year-olds • 16 communities • 2022
Source: CDC ADDM Network
CDC ADDM Network — United States
Identified prevalence per 1,000 8-year-old children, 2000–2022.
View the underlying data
| Surveillance year | Identified prevalence per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.7 |
| 2002 | 6.6 |
| 2004 | 8.0 |
| 2006 | 9.0 |
| 2008 | 11.3 |
| 2010 | 14.7 |
| 2012 | 14.5 |
| 2014 | 16.8 |
| 2016 | 18.5 |
| 2018 | 23.0 |
| 2020 | 27.6 |
| 2022 | 32.2 |
United States • 8-year-olds • 16 communities • 2022
Source: CDC ADDM Network
This is a surveillance series from selected U.S. communities, not a global trend or a direct measure of autism incidence. Sites, records available, identification practices and case definitions changed over time; the series is not a fixed population cohort.
Where data remain incomplete
Autism prevalence remains insufficiently characterised in many low- and middle-income countries.
Gaps in population studies and surveillance can limit comparisons between countries. Missing data should not be interpreted as absence of autism. Adult and lifespan evidence, sex-related differences in identification, and access to assessment need careful attention when defining new research questions.
Global • Evidence gaps • WHO 2025
Source: WHO · 17 September 2025
How to Read These Data
- Check geography, age and year before comparing figures. Global all-age estimates and U.S. child surveillance describe different populations.
- Prevalence describes how many people have a condition within a population; incidence describes new cases over time. Identified prevalence also depends on access to assessment and records.
- Age-standardised rates adjust for age structure. Rounded “1 in” figures, percentages, population totals and standardised rates are not interchangeable; do not calculate one from another without matching definitions.
Sources & Methodology
GARC curates these published indicators; it did not collect the underlying surveillance data or produce the GBD estimates. GBD 2021 combines eligible epidemiological evidence using Bayesian meta-regression. CDC ADDM analyses health and education records in participating U.S. communities. No pooled global–U.S. estimate is calculated here.
- World Health Organization — Autism fact sheet · 17 September 2025
- GBD 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators · The Lancet Psychiatry · 2025;12:111–121
- CDC — Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder · 27 May 2025
Last reviewed:
For research and evidence interpretation. This page does not provide medical advice or individual diagnosis.