Autism Prevalence Increased 22% From 2018 To 2020

Autism prevalence among eight-year-old children increased by 22% between 2018 and 2020, rising from 2.3% to 2.8%, according to new federal estimates. Within this age group, 4.0% of boys and 1% of girls have autism.

The estimate is based on data gathered at surveillance sites in 11 states. Nationally, autism prevalence was estimated at 27.6 per 1,000 eight-year-old children in 2020. Across the 11 states, autism prevalence among eight-year-olds in 2020 ranged from 2.3% in Maryland to 4.5% in California.

The data source is the Autism and . . .