Monitoring the Future 2021 Survey Results

Monitoring the Future is an annual drug use survey of eighth, 10th and 12th grade students conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

From February through June 2021, the Monitoring the Future investigators collected 32,260 surveys from students enrolled across 319 public and private schools in the United States.

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Graph: U.S. Students Reporting Any Past-Year Illicit Drug Use

The percentage of adolescents reporting substance use decreased significantly in 2021, representing the largest one-year decrease in overall illicit drug use reported since the survey began in 1975.

Last 12 Months
 20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
8th Grade14.7%13.4%15.2%14.6%14.8%12.0%12.9%13.4%14.8%15.6%10.2%
10th Grade31.1%30.1%32.1%29.9%27.9%26.8%27.8%29.9%31.0%30.4%18.7%
12th Grade40%39.7%40.1%38.7%38.6%38.3%39.9%38.8%38.0%36.8%32.0%