Number of Children
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Headline

In 2006, there were 73.7 million children under age 18 in the United States. This represents an increase in the child population of more than 50 percent since 1950. (See Figure 1)

Importance

Knowing the number of children at present and the number of children there are likely to be in the future is critical to effective social planning. The number of children determines the demand for schools, health care, and other services for children and their families.¹ Society makes substantial investments in children in all areas of life including health and safety, education and training, recreation, and social development. By tracking and predicting the total number of children, more planning can go into these investments, possibly making them more effective.

Trends

The number of children under age 18 in the United States has grown from 47.3 million in 1950 to 73.7 million in 2006. By the year 2030, that number is expected to grow to 85.7 million. Growth has not been steady, however. During the 1950s, the heart of the baby boom, the number of children increased by over a third to 64.5 million in 1960. After slower growth in the 1960s, the number of children actually fell, and by 1990, at 64.2 million, had not quite caught up to 1960 levels. Growth resumed in the 1990s to the current level of 73.7 million. (See Figure 1)

Since the early 1960s, however, children have formed an ever-smaller proportion of our total national population, declining from 36 percent in 1960 to 26 percent in 1990 and remaining stable through 2000. Since 2001, children have made up 25 percent of the total population. This percentage is expected to decline slightly to 24 percent by 2030. (See Table 1)

Related Indicators

Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Child Population, Teen Births

State and Local Estimates

2006 estimates of the child population at the state level are available from the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/

2006 estimates of the child population at the county level are available from the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/asrh/

2005 state estimates of the child population by age group are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=690

2005 state estimates of the child population by gender are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=700

2005 state estimates of the child population by race are available at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=710

Counts from the 2000 Census of the child population for states, counties, congressional districts, cities, metropolitan areas, and towns are available for the entire U.S. at the Annie E. Casey's KIDS COUNT site at http://www.aecf.org/cgi-bin/aeccensus.cgi?action=profile

State projections for 2000-2030 (based on the 2000 census) are available at http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/projectionsagesex.html

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International Estimates

Estimates of the child and youth populations are available for many countries at the UNICEF web site at http://www.unicef.org/statis/country.htm

National Goals

None

What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator

None available at this time.

Research References

¹Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2003. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available online at: http://www.childstats.gov/pubs.asp#ac2003

Data Source

Data for 2006 age breaks: Child Trends' calculations using data from the Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006. Available at:http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/files/NC-EST2006-ALLDATA.txt

All other 2006 data: Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Estimates of the Population by Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006. Available at:http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2006/NC-EST2006-02.xls

Data for 2005 age breaks: Child Trends' calculations using data from the Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Available at:http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/files/NC-EST2005-ALLDATA.txt

Data for 2004: Child Trends' calculations using data from the Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. State Single Year of Age and Sex Population Estimates: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2004. Available at: http://www.census.gov/popest/states/files/SC-EST2004-AGESEX_RES.csv

Data for 2002-2003: Child Trends' calculations using data from the Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. (June 14, 2004). Annual Estimates of the Population by Sex and Selected Age Groups for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2003 (NC-EST2003-02). Available at: http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2003-as.html

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2003. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Tables POP1 and POP2.
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/ (See Population and Family Characteristics)

Raw Data Source

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Estimates and Projections
http://www.census.gov/

Approximate Date of Next Update

2008

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