Children in the U.S.

  • In 2004, children under 18 made up 25% of the total population
  • In 2004, the life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years, with the U.S. ranked 30th out of 177 countries


Poverty

  • 18% of children (or approximately 13 million children) live in families that are below the poverty line ($20,650 for a family of four)

Health

  • In 2005, 17% of children lived in households classified by the USDA as “food insecure”
  • In 2004, 8.1% of infants were born weighing under 5 lbs. 8 oz.
  • In 2005, 8.8% of children did not have health insurance
  • In 2004, 83% of children aged 19-35 months had received the recommended combined series of vaccines, referred to as the 4:3:1:3 (4 DPT: 3 polio: 1 measles: 3 Hib), compared with 76% in 1994

Abuse and Neglect

  • In 2004, approximately 1,490 children died from injuries suffered due to abuse or neglect
  • In 2005, approximately 899,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect
  • In 2005, approximately 565,000 children were victims of neglect
  • In 2005, approximately 150,000 children were victims of physical abuse
  • In 2005, approximately 80,000 children were victims of sexual abuse

Juvenile Justice

  • There are currently at least 2,225 people incarcerated who were sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed as a child
  • In the 1990s, only 6 countries executed minors: Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United States

Education

  • In 2005, 57% of children aged 3-5 who were not yet in kindergarten were enrolled in some kind of early childhood care and education program

Inequalities

  • The rate at which black children receive a sentence of life without parole is ten times higher than the rate at which white children receive the same sentence
  • In 2004, 33% of black children lived in families that were below the poverty line, compared to 29% of Hispanic children and 10% of White, non-Hispanic children
  • In 2005, 70% of Asian children aged 3-5 who were not yet in kindergarten were enrolled in some kind of early childhood care and education program, compared with 67% of black children, 43% of Hispanic children, and 59% of White, non-Hispanic children
  • In 2005, 21.2% of Hispanic children did not have health insurance, compared with 7% of black and multiracial children and 5.7% of white children

*These statistics were gathered from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics; the National Survey of Children's Health; Human Rights Watch; Human Development Report; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families; and the National Center for Children in Poverty.