CanFASD recently updated two issue papers on the prevalence of FASD: one about estimated rates in the general prevalence, and one in special populations. The original versions of these papers were published in 2018. They were updated in November 2024 to reflect new evidence emerging in the area.
Understanding the rates of FASD in our communities is critical for allocating resources and implementing services to support healthy pregnancies and families. Because of barriers to identifying FASD and differing approaches to measuring prevalence, rates are difficult to establish, and estimates have not always been consistent. A long-standing, but outdated, estimate reported by researchers in the US suggested that approximately 1% of the general population had FASD. Since this early work, evidence in the US and Canada has grown, with new conservative estimates ranging up to 8%.
Based on existing evidence, our current best estimate for the prevalence of FASD in the general population of North America is 8%. In Canada, the FASD prevalence rate is likely at least 4%. As research evidence grows, this minimum estimate could continue to rise.
These estimates indicate that FASD is one of the leading causes of developmental disability in the Western world. This is more common than autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and Tourette syndrome, combined.
Special Populations
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and FASD may be more common in communities and populations with compromised social determinants of health. Two groups that have been the focus of targeted FASD prevalence research to date are children in care, as well as people involved in the criminal legal system.
Based on current evidence the estimated prevalence of FASD among Canadian children in care is at least 3-11%. In Canadian criminal legal settings, the estimated prevalence of FASD is 10-46%. This wide range of estimates is likely due to differences in study methodology, sample, and context. However, across studies, researchers indicate that FASD is a significant concern in child welfare and criminal legal settings. This warrants practice and policy considerations to address the complex needs of these groups.
Finally, there is a public misconception that FASD is more common in Indigenous communities, but there is little high-quality evidence to support this claim. Because of mixed research findings, as well as referral bias, over-surveillance, stereotyping, and historical and ongoing racism against Indigenous Peoples, the misconception is unfounded and harmful. Pursuing this dialogue without sound research evidence further perpetuates the inequity experienced by Indigenous children, parents, families, and communities.
Take Home Message
FASD vastly outnumbers other common developmental disabilities, however, by comparison, receives relatively little public recognition or understanding. Current research points to a much higher rate of FASD than was initially estimated. With improved methods of detection, these conservative estimates continue to rise. There are also substantially higher rates of FASD in special groups of people. This includes those involved in the child welfare and criminal legal systems. More research is needed across all contexts to understand the scope and prevalence of FASD. This is critical for resource allocation, training development, and policy considerations to support healthy outcomes for people with FASD, their families, and their communities.
For more information, including recommendations, please read the full issue papers:
Related Content
Found this blogpost interesting? We’d recommend checking out the following webpages:
- Become a member of CanFASD – be the first to know about the latest FASD research.
- CanFASD issue papers – browse our other issue papers.
- Foundations in FASD – training course intended for everyone that will come into contact with individuals with FASD.