A troubling pattern of racial disparities has emerged in cognitive health across America, with minority communities bearing a disproportionate burden of increasing cognitive disabilities over the past decade.
Research published in Neurology examined data from over 4.5 million annual surveys conducted between 2013 and 2023, revealing that self-reported cognitive disabilities among U.S. adults rose from 5.3% to 7.4%. However, the impact varied dramatically across racial and ethnic groups, exposing significant health inequities.
American Indian and Alaska Native adults reported the highest prevalence of cognitive challenges, with rates climbing from 7.5% to 11.2%. Hispanic respondents experienced a substantial increase from 6.8% to 9.9%, while Black adults saw rates rise from 7.3% to 8.2%. In contrast, white adults increased from 4.5% to 6.3%, and Asian adults reported the smallest increase, from 3.9% to 4.8%.
The study’s lead researcher, Adam de Havenon from Yale School of Medicine, highlighted the concerning intersection of race and socioeconomic status. “We are seeing the steepest increases in cognitive challenges among those who already face structural disadvantages,” he noted, calling for deeper investigation into the social and economic factors driving these trends.
The disparities were particularly stark among younger adults aged 18 to 39, where overall rates nearly doubled from 5.1% to 9.7%. Adults earning less than $35,000 annually saw cognitive disability rates surge from 8.8% to 12.6%, underscoring how economic disadvantage compounds racial health inequities.
See: “Rising Cognitive Disabilities Among Younger U.S. Adults: A Decade of Concerns” (November 2, 2025)
