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Analysis and Health

Is ADHD on the rise? No – but that answer doesn't tell the whole story

Despite reports of a recent surge in ADHD, a global analysis has found no reliable evidence of an increase in the number of children diagnosed with the condition since 2020

By Michael Le Page

5 June 2025 , updated 5 June 2025

There are concerns that more children are being diagnosed with ADHD

Imgorthand/Getty Images

Is ADHD in children on the rise? An assessment of thousands of studies released since 2020 suggests, surprisingly, that the answer is no – but the researchers behind the work have expressed their frustration at the poor quality of data available, meaning that the true picture remains murky.

“The best data we have suggests that there has been no meaningful increase in ADHD prevalence,” says Alex Martin at King’s College London, but that masks a larger problem, she says. “Most of the research is too biased to…

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