An estimated 2.5 million people in England are now living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new NHS analysis
Doctors have raised concerns in recent years about a surge in diagnoses—but this marks the first official estimate of how widespread the condition may be.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects concentration, impulse control and activity levels.
Common symptoms include restlessness, distractibility, forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions or managing time, and making impulsive decisions.
The new figures, published today by NHS England, were developed using data from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
These suggest that three and four per cent of adults and five per cent of children and young people have ADHD.
This means a total of 2,498,000 people may have the condition, including those without a diagnosis.
Of this number, an estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged five to 24.
Fascinating graphs show how ADHD prescriptions have risen over time, with the patient demographic shifting from children to adults with women in particular now driving the increase
While ADHD is rarely diagnosed in children under five—as many symptoms can mirror typical development—NHS estimates suggest around 147,000 in this age group are likely to have the condition, offering insight into future diagnosis rates.
The figures also show that more than 549,000 people in England were waiting for an ADHD assessment at the end of March 2025—up from 416,000 the previous year.
Of those currently waiting for an assessment, around 304,000 had been waiting at least a year—and 144,000 for two years or more, as NHS services struggle to keep up with spiraling demand.
More than two-thirds (382,000) were aged between five and 24.
Louise Ansari, chief executive at Healthwatch England, said the figures are ‘a first step in understanding the scale of demand for ADHD care’.
She added: ‘Our new research highlights that many people with ADHD may simply be going without support.
‘Long waits for assessments are one of the reasons people who show ADHD traits don’t seek help, while those waiting for an assessment struggle to navigate the long waits.’
Ms Ansari also said it was important to build a ‘clearer picture’ of ‘who is experiencing the longest waits and why’.
Rising interest in ADHD assessments is thought to be partly fuelled by celebrities speaking out—including former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, pictured
Former Bake Off host Sue Perkins, pictured, said learning that she had ADHD made ‘everything make sense’
Last year a MailOnline investigation revealed that doctors were dishing out powerful ADHD drugs at 10-times the rate in some parts of England than others.
NHS data shows as many as one in 100 people in some areas are taking ADHD medications, compared to just one in 1,000 in nearby regions.
Commenting on the findings, experts warned of over-diagnosis and ‘mass-prescribing’ could be putting public health at risk.
University College London psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a vocal critic of medication overuse, said ADHD diagnosis is ‘incredibly subjective’.
‘One psychiatrist may think almost everyone has it, while another thinks very few do,’ she said. ‘We all have ADHD symptoms to some extent.’
She added that private clinics are often quicker to diagnose than the NHS, making a diagnosis more likely in the independent sector.
Professor Moncrieff said patients were increasingly demanding an ADHD diagnosis as the ‘answer’ to problems they are experiencing in areas like their work.
‘This concept of ADHD has got out there and everyone is reinterpreting their difficulties in the light this new idea, ‘I’m not bored and don’t like my job, I have ADHD’,’ she said.
How ADHD rates compare between countries, according to US official sources
‘Stimulants make people feel good, they make them feel confident, they make people feel a little bit euphoric, energetic, so of course people are going to be rating themselves as doing better.’
Rising interest in ADHD is thought to be fuelled in part by celebrities sharing their diagnoses — including Katie Price, Love Island’s Olivia Attwood, Sheridan Smith and former Bake Off host Sue Perkins.
Attwood said it caused ‘a lot of stress’ in her teens, while Price said it explained why she never felt there would be ‘consequences’ for her actions. Perkins said the diagnosis made ‘everything make sense’.
Social media has also been blamed, with users praising ADHD meds for calming them and boosting focus.
NHS prescriptions have doubled in six years to 230,000, with the sharpest rise—nearly 60 per cent in a year—among women in their late 20s and early 30s.
Use among 25 to 39-year-olds has increased five-fold since 2015.
In response, NHS England launched a taskforce to assess the scale of the condition.
ADHD is also behind a surge in disability benefit claims. One in five now relate to behavioural conditions, with over 52,000 adults—mostly aged 16 to 29—listing ADHD as their main condition.
