Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence Triples in US Over Past Two Decades

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Columbia University have published new findings on the developmental disease, highlighting a significant increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses among pediatric inpatients in the United States. According to the study, the ASD prevalence has more than tripled since 1997, with 1.19% of hospital discharges among inpatients aged 1-20 years diagnosed with ASD in 2019.

Key Takeaways:

  • The prevalence of ASD increased from 0.18% in 1997 to 3.36% in 2019, with a significant rise in diagnoses over the past two decades.
  • The study found a higher prevalence of ASD among males (1.53%) compared to females (0.54%).
  • The prevalence of ASD was highest among non-Hispanic Whites (1.28%), followed by Other races (1.18%), Hispanics (0.94%), and non-Hispanic Blacks (0.95%).
  • The study's findings suggest that improved screening and diagnostic techniques may contribute to the increased prevalence of ASD.
  • The research highlights the need for comprehensive surveillance systems to track ASD epidemiology and monitor trends.

Statistics:

  • 10.009% of hospital discharges among inpatients aged 1-20 years had a diagnosis of ASD in 2019.
  • The ASD prevalence increased by 273.40% from 1997 to 2019.
  • 9,267,881 hospital discharges were studied in the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) from 1997 to 2019.
  • 110,090 inpatient discharges had a diagnosis of ASD.
  • The prevalence of ASD was highest among non-Hispanic Whites (1.28%) in 2019.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Autism Spectrum Disorders Study Findings Recently Were Reported by Researchers at Columbia University (Epidemiologic Patterns of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Pediatric Inpatients In the United States, 1997-2019). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 462.
  • Epidemiologic Patterns of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Pediatric Inpatients In the United States, 1997-2019. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2025;55(6):2085-2091.