About the Global Autism Prevalence Map

This map was created by the team at The Transmitter, an essential resource for the neuroscience community, dedicated to helping scientists at all career stages stay current and build connections. Spectrum is a key part of The Transmitter and publishes news and perspectives about autism research. Subscribe to our Spectrum newsletter to stay up to date.

The map features a collection of studies on autism prevalence around the world. It highlights places where information is available—and places where information is missing. We periodically update the map with new studies as they become available

How to use the Global Autism Prevalence Map:

Each dot on the map represents a study. To see more information about a particular study, click on the corresponding dot. The window that pops up has key pieces of available information from that study.

You can also view and filter the studies in the “list” view. In either the map or the list view, you can use the filters at the top to display studies that match certain criteria, such as sample size, prevalence estimate or study type. And you can use the timeline at the bottom of the page to filter by the years in which studies were conducted or published.

Key to terms used on the Global Autism Prevalence Map:

Prevalence is shown on the map as the estimated number of autistic people per 10,000 people in the population studied.

When available, the study shows the proportion of participants with at least an average IQ—the definition of “average” IQ varies from study to study but typically refers to a score above 70 or 80.

Diagnostic criteria include the following options:

ABC—Autism Behavior Checklist

ADOS—Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule

ADI, ADI-R—Autism Diagnostic Interview, Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised

Autistic Disorder

CABS—Clancy Autism Behavior Scale

CARS—Childhood Autism Rating Scale

CCMD-2, CCMD-2-R—Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders, 2^nd edition

Clinician diagnosis

DAWBA—Development and Well-Being Assessment

DISCO—Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorderss

DSM-III, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5—editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Gillberg criteria—Christopher Gillberg’s diagnostic description

ICD-8, ICD-9, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10—editions of the International Classification of Diseases

INDT-ASD—INCLEN Diagnostic Tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Parent report

Kanner criteria—Leo Kanner’s diagnostic description

SCDC—Social and Communication Disorders Checklist

SCQ—Social Communication Questionnaire

SRS—Social Responsiveness Scale

Rating scale

RDC—Research Diagnostic Criteria

Rutter criteria—Michael Rutter’s diagnostic description

Study type includes the following options:

Epidemiological survey—active case-finding with two-stage screen and case confirmation

Registry—analysis of already-identified cases in research databases

Administrative database—classifications based on existing documented provision of services

General health survey—reported symptoms or diagnoses in a population-based survey sample

Research cohort—people identified for research projects and followed over time

Category includes the following options:

AD—autistic disorder (now classified as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, in the DSM-5)

PDD—pervasive developmental disorder (now classified as ASD in the DSM-5)

ASD—autism spectrum disorder

How to cite the Global Autism Prevalence Map:

Please include a statement in your article or on your website that indicates that you retrieved the information from https://autismprevalence.thetransmitter.org/. If you refer to the map by name, please call it the “Global Autism Prevalence Map from The Transmitter” and link to this page. For more information on syndication, visit our editorial policies page.

Read stories on autism prevalence published by The Transmitter:

• U.S. autism prevalence continues to rise as race and sex gaps shrink, new stats show

• Autism by the numbers: Explaining its apparent rise

• Analysis offers first reliable estimate of prevalence in Oman

• Study quantifies prevalence of autism in India

• Autism incidence in England varies by ethnicity, class, location

Explore more at https://www.thetransmitter.org/prevalence/

The team behind the global Autism Prevalence Map:

The Global Autism Prevalence Map is updated periodically with information collected by Heather MacFarlane, a research data analyst at Oregon Health & Science University.

The Global Autism Prevalence Map was first released in 2018 under the leadership of Apoorva Mandavilli, Spectrum’s founding editor-in-chief. Nicholette Zeliadt, The Transmitter’s managing editor, led the map’s build on the editorial side. Rebecca Horne, The Transmitter’s art director, commissioned and oversees the map’s design. Michael Kranz, the Simons Foundation’s former director of web development, oversaw the map’s technical build.

Special project advisers Gauri Divan, director of the child development group at Sangath; Maureen Durkin, professor and chair of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Mayada Elsabbagh, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University; Eric Fombonne, professor emeritus of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University; and Catherine Rice, branch chief in the Disability and Health Promotion Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided invaluable guidance and expertise throughout the entire project.

We want to hear from you:

If you have questions or feedback about the Global Autism Prevalence Map, email us at [email protected].