FOI Ref: FOI/2021/3452
You asked
Please supply the national statistics for the percentage of autistic people per the whole population per annum in the last 5 years.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry requesting the national statistics for the percentage of autistic people per the whole population per annum in the last 5 years.
Since January 2020, autism (including Autism Spectrum Condition and Asperger syndrome) was added as response option to the Annual Population Survey (APS) questionnaire. Prevalence of autism for 2020 is available as an ad hoc publication on the ONS website: Autism prevalence, UK, 2020 - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).
Information on autism prevalence in 2021 for people with a long term health condition aged 16 to 64 years, along with other special extracts and tabulations of disability data are available to order (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate).
Such enquiries would fall outside of the Freedom of Information regime and should be made to life.course@ons.gov.uk.
Prior to the inclusion of autism as a response option on the APS in 2020, ONS does not hold this data.