Most Common Neurodivergent Conditions: Prevalence, Demographics, and Co-Occurrence Statistics

Research compiled by New Frontiers | Last updated: July 2026

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for natural variations in how the brain processes information, learns, and interacts with the world. It is not a single clinical diagnosis but a broad category gathering several distinct conditions under one heading. A widely cited peer-reviewed estimate, published by Nancy Doyle in the British Medical Bulletin, places the neurodivergent share of the population at around 15% to 20%.¹

That figure is a range rather than a single number for a simple reason: because “neurodivergent” is not itself a clinical diagnosis, the total depends on which conditions are counted. Narrower definitions track a core set of neurodevelopmental conditions, while broader ones also fold in obsessive-compulsive disorder and certain acquired conditions, pushing the total higher.¹

This guide examines the most common neurodivergent conditions, laying out prevalence data by condition, demographic patterns, diagnostic trends, and the extent of their overlap. All figures were compiled from publicly available primary sources in July 2026, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and peer-reviewed research.

What Counts as Neurodivergence?

Most frameworks count a core set of conditions as neurodivergent: autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette syndrome. Some also include developmental language disorder, and broader definitions extend to obsessive-compulsive disorder and acquired conditions such as traumatic brain injury.¹ Because no single agency measures neurodivergence as a whole, population-level estimates are assembled by combining condition-by-condition prevalence studies.

The conditions below differ widely in how common they are, how they are diagnosed, and how much research they have received. What unites them is a shared premise: that these are variations in brain function rather than deficits to be corrected.

The Core Neurodivergent Conditions at a Glance

Condition	Estimated Prevalence	Population Basis
Dyslexia	~20% (range 5–20%)	General population
ADHD	5.9% children; ~2.5% adults	Global
Autism Spectrum Disorder	3.2%	U.S. 8-year-olds
Dyspraxia (DCD)	~5%	General population (children)
Dyscalculia	3–7%	Schoolchildren
Tourette Syndrome	~0.3–1%	Children

Sources: Table¹

The Most Prevalent Conditions

Dyslexia, the Most Common Neurodivergent Condition

Dyslexia is the most common form of neurodivergence. According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, it affects an estimated 20% of the population and represents 80% to 90% of all those with learning disabilities.² In the United States specifically, estimates range more broadly, with the International Dyslexia Association placing prevalence somewhere between 5% and 17% depending on the criteria and screening methods applied.³

Dyslexia primarily affects reading and language processing rather than general intelligence. Its wide prevalence range reflects the same measurement challenge seen across neurodivergence: differences in how the condition is defined and identified produce different counts. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of primary school children estimated pooled prevalence at 7.1%, with a marked sex difference (9.2% in boys versus 4.7% in girls).⁴

Metric	Figure
General population prevalence (Yale)	~20%
Share of all learning disabilities	80–90%
U.S. prevalence range (IDA)	5–17%
Pooled prevalence, primary-school meta-analysis	7.1% (boys 9.2% / girls 4.7%)

Sources: Table 2²

ADHD Across the Lifespan

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is among the most studied neurodivergent conditions, and its prevalence differs sharply between children and adults. The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement reports a childhood and adolescent prevalence of 5.9%,⁵ while pooled meta-analytic estimates place adult prevalence at roughly 2.5%.⁶ In the United States, parent-reported CDC data place the figure considerably higher for children: in 2022, an estimated 11.4% of U.S. children aged 3 to 17 (about 7.1 million) had ever received an ADHD diagnosis.⁷

ADHD also rarely appears in isolation. According to the same 2022 CDC analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health, nearly 78% of children with current ADHD had at least one other co-occurring condition, ranging from behavioral and conduct concerns to anxiety and learning differences.⁷

Population	Prevalence
U.S. children ages 3–17 (CDC, 2022)	11.4%
Global children (WFADHD Consensus)	5.9%
Global adults (pooled meta-analysis)	~2.5%
U.S. children with ≥1 co-occurring condition	~78%

Sources: Table 3³

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Rising Identification

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has seen the most dramatic change in identified prevalence of any condition in this guide. The CDC now estimates that about 1 in 31 children aged 8 years (3.2%) has been identified with ASD, based on its Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.⁸ ASD is 3.4 times as prevalent among boys as among girls.⁸

The longer trend is striking: U.S. autism identification rose from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 31 by 2022.⁸ The CDC attributes this increase largely to improved diagnostic practices, broader diagnostic criteria, greater awareness, and expanded screening access, particularly among historically underserved communities, rather than to a true rise in underlying incidence.⁸

Metric	Figure
Current U.S. 8-year-olds (2022)	1 in 31 (3.2%)
2020 estimate	1 in 36 (2.7%)
2000 estimate	1 in 150
Boys vs. girls	3.4× more likely
U.S. 4-year-olds (2022)	1 in 34 (2.9%)

Sources: Table 4⁴

Less Common but Significant Conditions

Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder)

Dyspraxia, formally known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), affects motor planning and coordination. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found the prevalence of DCD in the general population of children to be 5%,⁹ while clinical reviews most often cite a range of 5% to 6% among school-aged children.¹⁰

Both healthcare and education professionals frequently underrecognize DCD, and it commonly overlaps with attention conditions. Research indicates DCD co-occurs with ADHD in roughly 30% to 50% of cases, pointing to a shared neural basis for attention and motor difficulties.¹⁰

Metric	Figure
General population (children), meta-analysis	~5%
Commonly cited clinical range	5–6%
Boys versus girls	~7% versus 4%
Preterm infants (<37 weeks)	18%
Co-occurrence with ADHD	30–50%

Sources: Table 5⁵

Dyscalculia and Other Learning Differences

Dyscalculia affects the ability to understand and work with numbers. Per the DSM-5, the prevalence of the specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics is estimated at 3% to 7% in schoolchildren, with variation depending on the diagnostic criteria and the age assessed.¹¹ It sits within a broader category of specific learning disorders whose combined prevalence across languages and cultures the DSM-5 places at 5% to 15%.¹¹

These conditions frequently co-occur with one another and with other forms of neurodivergence. Developmental writing disorder, commonly referred to as dysgraphia, is estimated by the APA to affect about 7% to 15% of school-aged children, with boys affected roughly two to three times as often as girls; it frequently overlaps with ADHD and other specific learning disorders, reflecting shared weaknesses in working memory and visuomotor integration.^{11, 12}

Condition	Prevalence (schoolchildren)
Dyscalculia (SLD, mathematics)	3–7%
Specific learning disorders (all)	5–15%
Dysgraphia (developmental writing disorder)	7–15%

Sources: Table 6⁶

Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders

Tourette syndrome (TS) is characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics, typically beginning in childhood with symptoms peaking around ages 10 to 12. Analysis of the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health found a TS prevalence of 0.3% among children aged 3 to 17, with cases concentrated heavily among males, who make up about 74% of those diagnosed.¹³

Tourette syndrome is rarely a standalone condition. Clinical studies indicate that roughly 85% to 90% of people with TS have at least one co-occurring condition, with only a minority presenting with tics alone.¹⁴

Metric	Figure
U.S. children ages 3–17	0.3%
Male share of cases	74%
Peak symptom age	10–12 years
At least one co-occurring condition	85–90%

Sources: Table 7⁷

How These Conditions Overlap

Co-Occurrence and Comorbidity Rates

Across neurodivergent conditions, co-occurrence is the norm rather than the exception. This is clearest with the two most-studied conditions, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, both of which frequently appear alongside each other and alongside anxiety, mood, and learning-related conditions.

The overlap between ADHD and ASD is substantial and runs in both directions. A population-derived study of children with ASD found that more than 70% had at least one concurrent condition, and the same cohort recorded ADHD in 21.62% alongside oppositional defiant disorder and anxiety as leading comorbidities.¹⁴ A later meta-analysis placed the pooled lifetime prevalence of co-occurring ADHD in ASD at roughly 40%.¹⁵ Reported ranges are wide because estimates vary by setting and age: reviews cite ADHD ranging from 25.7% to 65%, OCD from 9% to 22%, and disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders from 12% to 48% across ASD samples.¹⁶

ADHD shows a similar pattern. Drawing on the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, researchers found adult ADHD to be highly comorbid with many other DSM-IV disorders and associated with substantial role impairment, with subsequent reviews placing comorbidity in 60% to 80% of adults with ADHD.^{17, 18} In children and adolescents, a large meta-analysis identified the most common co-occurring conditions as oppositional defiant disorder (34.7%), behavior disorders (30.7%), and anxiety disorders (18.4%).¹⁹ ADHD and specific learning differences also overlap heavily; a community twin study reported that reading disability co-occurs with ADHD in roughly 25% to 40% of individuals.²⁰

Common Co-Occurring Conditions with ADHD

Co-Occurring Condition	Reported Co-Occurrence Rate
Any comorbid psychiatric disorder (adults)	~60–80%
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)	~34.7%
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)	overlap in both directions
Anxiety disorders	~18.4%
Mood disorders (such as depression)	elevated vs. general population
Other learning disabilities (such as dyslexia)	~25–40%
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)	~7–13%

Sources: Table 8⁸

Common Co-Occurring Conditions with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Co-Occurring Condition	Reported Co-Occurrence Rate
Any comorbid psychiatric disorder	>70%
ADHD	~40% (range 25.7–65%)
Anxiety disorders	~20–40%
Mood disorders (such as depression)	~4.4–37%
Oppositional defiant / disruptive disorders	~12–48%
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)	~9–22%
Other learning disabilities	frequently co-occurring

Sources: Table 9⁹

Neurodivergence in the Population

Prevalence figures drawn from clinical diagnosis tell only part of the story, because a growing number of people identify as neurodivergent regardless of formal diagnosis. In a November 2024 YouGov survey of U.S. adults, 19% said they consider themselves neurodivergent, while 72% identified as neurotypical.¹⁶

Self-identification and clinical prevalence are distinct measures and will not always align at the individual level. Yet both converge on a similar conclusion: somewhere between one in seven and one in five people is neurodivergent.^{1, 16} For workplaces, schools, and healthcare systems, that convergence signals a population far larger than diagnostic counts alone would suggest.

Measure	Figure
Peer-reviewed estimate (Doyle, BMB 2020)	15–20%
U.S. self-identification (YouGov, Nov 2024)	19%

Sources: Table 10¹⁰

References

1. Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: A biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaa021
2. Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (n.d.). What is dyslexia? Yale University. https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/
3. International Dyslexia Association. (2020). Dyslexia basics [Fact sheet]. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/
4. Yang, L., Li, C., Li, X., Zhai, M., An, Q., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., & Weng, X. (2022). Prevalence of developmental dyslexia in primary school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Sciences, 12(2), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020240
5. Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., … Wang, Y. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789–818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022
6. Song, P., Zha, M., Yang, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, X., & Rudan, I. (2021). The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, 11, 04009. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.11.04009
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Data and statistics on ADHD in children. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html
8. Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., et al., & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(2). https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html
9. Li, H., Ke, X., Huang, D., Xu, X., Tian, H., Gao, J., Jiang, C., & Song, W. (2024). The prevalence of developmental coordination disorder in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, 1387406. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1387406
10. Blank, R., Barnett, A. L., Cairney, J., et al. (2019). International clinical practice recommendations on the definition, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and psychosocial aspects of developmental coordination disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 61(3), 242–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.14132
11. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
12. American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What are specific learning disorders? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/specific-learning-disorder/what-is-specific-learning-disorder
13. Saeidi, M., Alzein, O., Jafari, K., Salehi, M., & Jaka, S. (2025). Prevalence and comorbidities of Tourette syndrome in children and adolescents: Insights from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(5), 1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14051485
14. Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8), 921–929. https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e318179964f
15. Rong, Y., Yang, C. J., Jin, Y., & Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101759
16. Lugo-Marín, J., Magán-Maganto, M., Rivero-Santana, A., Cuellar-Pompa, L., Alviani, M., Jenaro-Rio, C., Díez, E., & Canal-Bedia, R. (2019). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 59, 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2018.12.004
17. Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Barkley, R., Biederman, J., Conners, C. K., Demler, O., … Zaslavsky, A. M. (2006). The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(4), 716–723. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.4.716
18. Choi, W. S., Woo, Y. S., Wang, S. M., Lim, H. K., & Bahk, W. M. (2022). The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in adult ADHD compared with non-ADHD populations: A systematic literature review. PLOS One, 17(11), e0277175. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277175
19. Reale, L., Bartoli, B., Cartabia, M., Zanetti, M., Costantino, M. A., Canevini, M. P., … Bonati, M. (2025). Psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.037
20. Willcutt, E. G., & Pennington, B. F. (2000). Comorbidity of reading disability and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Differences by gender and subtype. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33(2), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/002221940003300206

¹Table 1:

1. Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (n.d.). What is dyslexia? Yale University. https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/
2. International Dyslexia Association. (2020). Dyslexia basics [Fact sheet]. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/
3. Yang, L., Li, C., Li, X., Zhai, M., An, Q., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., & Weng, X. (2022). Prevalence of developmental dyslexia in primary school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Sciences, 12(2), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020240
4. Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., … Wang, Y. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789–818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022
5. Song, P., Zha, M., Yang, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, X., & Rudan, I. (2021). The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, 11, 04009. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.11.04009
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Data and statistics on ADHD in children. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html

²Table 2:

1. Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (n.d.). What is dyslexia? Yale University. https://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/
2. International Dyslexia Association. (2020). Dyslexia basics [Fact sheet]. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/
3. Yang, L., Li, C., Li, X., Zhai, M., An, Q., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., & Weng, X. (2022). Prevalence of developmental dyslexia in primary school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Sciences, 12(2), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020240

³Table 3:

1. Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., … Wang, Y. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789–818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022
2. Song, P., Zha, M., Yang, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, X., & Rudan, I. (2021). The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, 11, 04009. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.11.04009
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Data and statistics on ADHD in children. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html

⁴Table 4:

1. Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., et al., & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(2). https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html

⁵Table 5:

1. Li, H., Ke, X., Huang, D., Xu, X., Tian, H., Gao, J., Jiang, C., & Song, W. (2024). The prevalence of developmental coordination disorder in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, 1387406. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1387406
2. Blank, R., Barnett, A. L., Cairney, J., et al. (2019). International clinical practice recommendations on the definition, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and psychosocial aspects of developmental coordination disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 61(3), 242–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.14132

⁶Table 6:

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
2. American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What are specific learning disorders? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/specific-learning-disorder/what-is-specific-learning-disorder

⁷Table 7:

1. Saeidi, M., Alzein, O., Jafari, K., Salehi, M., & Jaka, S. (2025). Prevalence and comorbidities of Tourette syndrome in children and adolescents: Insights from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(5), 1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14051485
2. Freeman, R. D., Fast, D. K., Burd, L., Kerbeshian, J., Robertson, M. M., & Sandor, P. (2000). An international perspective on Tourette syndrome: Selected findings from 3,500 individuals in 22 countries. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 42(7), 436–447. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0012162200000839

⁸Table 8:

1. Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Barkley, R., Biederman, J., Conners, C. K., Demler, O., … Zaslavsky, A. M. (2006). The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(4), 716–723. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.4.716
2. Choi, W. S., Woo, Y. S., Wang, S. M., Lim, H. K., & Bahk, W. M. (2022). The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in adult ADHD compared with non-ADHD populations: A systematic literature review. PLOS One, 17(11), e0277175. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277175
3. Reale, L., Bartoli, B., Cartabia, M., Zanetti, M., Costantino, M. A., Canevini, M. P., … Bonati, M. (2025). Psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.037
4. Willcutt, E. G., & Pennington, B. F. (2000). Comorbidity of reading disability and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Differences by gender and subtype. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33(2), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/002221940003300206

⁹Table 9:

1. Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8), 921–929. https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e318179964f
2. Rong, Y., Yang, C. J., Jin, Y., & Wang, Y. (2021). Prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101759
3. Lugo-Marín, J., Magán-Maganto, M., Rivero-Santana, A., Cuellar-Pompa, L., Alviani, M., Jenaro-Rio, C., Díez, E., & Canal-Bedia, R. (2019). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 59, 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2018.12.004

¹⁰Table 10:

1. Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: A biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaa021
2. YouGov. (2024, November 14). Neurodiversity in the U.S.: 19% of Americans identify as neurodivergent. https://yougov.com/health/articles/50950-neurodiversity-neurodivergence-in-united-states-19-percent-americans-identify-neurodivergent-poll