There are approximately 540,000 people with autism in the UK - 433,000 adults and 107,000 children. The findings in this report reveal that children with autism cost £2.7 billion a year, yet for adults the figure is £25 billion - more than eight times as much.

Funded by the Shirley Foundation and led by Professor Martin Knapp at the London School of Economics and King's College London, the research shows that for adults with autism the highest costs are those generated by health and social care provision (59%), followed by lost employment (36%) and family expenses (5%).