In 2021, children between the ages of zero and 17 years old made up 22.2 percent of the total population in the United States. This is down from a peak in 1960, where children made up 36 percent of the total population in the country.

In 2021, about 48.8 percent of U.S. children were White, non-Hispanic; 26 percent were Hispanic; 13.9 percent were Black, non-Hispanic; and 5.6 percent were Asian, non-Hispanic. The share of Hispanic children in the United States has been steadily increasing since 2000.

As recommended by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to ensure consistency across all HHSC agencies, in 2012 DFPS adopted the HHSC methodology on how to categorize race and ethnicity. As a result, data broken down by race and ethnicity in 2012 and after is not directly comparable to race and ethnicity data in 2011 and before.

The population totals may not match previously printed DFPS Data Books. Past population estimates are adjusted based on the U.S. Census data as it becomes available. This is important to keep the data in line with current best practices, but may cause some past counts, such as Abuse/Neglect Victims per 1,000 Texas Children, to be recalculated.

Population Data Source - Population Estimates and Projections Program, Texas State Data Center, Office of the State Demographer and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Current population estimates and projections data as of December 2020.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on all DFPS programs.

Graph and download economic data for Total Families with Children under 18 Years Old (TTLFMCU) from 1950 to 2024 about 18 years +, family, child, household survey, and USA.

In 2020, there were about 73.6 million children in the United States. This was a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were about 74.2 million children in the country. The number of children in the United States is projected to reach 78.2 million in 2050.

Around *** million families in the United States had three or more children under 18 living in the household in 2023. In that same year, about ***** million households had no children under 18 living in the household.

Graph and download economic data for Total Families with Children under 18 Years Old with Married Couple (FMLWCUMC) from 1950 to 2024 about married, 18 years +, family, child, household survey, and USA.

NOTE: On October 19, 2021, estimates for 2016–2018 by health insurance status were revised to correct errors. Changes are highlighted and tagged at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/012-508.pdf Data on health conditions among children under age 18, by selected population characteristics. Please refer to the PDF or Excel version of this table in the HUS 2019 Data Finder (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/contents2019.htm) for critical information about measures, definitions, and changes over time. SOURCE: NCHS, National Health Interview Survey, Family Core and Sample Child questionnaires. For more information on the National Health Interview Survey, see the corresponding Appendix entry at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-appendix-508.pdf.

The files in the data directory contain estimates of population and poverty.

The school districts for which we have estimates were 
identified in the **2022 school district mapping survey**,
which asked about all school districts as of January 1, 2023 and 
used school district boundaries for the 2021-2022 school year.

The 2022 estimates are consistent with the population controls and 
income concepts used in the American Community Survey single-year 
estimates.  

There is one file for each of the states, the District of Columbia, and 
the entire United States. Each file contains the FIPS state code, 
Department of Education Common Core of Data (CCD) ID numbers, District names, 
the total population, population of school-age children, and estimated 
number of school-age children in poverty related to the head of the household.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the United States population by age cohorts (Children: Under 18 years; Working population: 18-64 years; Senior population: 65 years or more). It lists the population in each age cohort group along with its percentage relative to the total population of United States. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution across children, working population and senior population for dependency ratio, housing requirements, ageing, migration patterns etc.

Key observations

The largest age group was 18 to 64 years with a poulation of 202.77 million (61% of the total population). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Age cohorts:

• Under 18 years
• 18 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age cohort for the United States population analysis. Total expected values are 3 groups ( Children, Working Population and Senior Population).
• Population: The population for the age cohort in United States is shown in the following column.
• Percent of Total Population: The population as a percent of total population of the United States is shown in the following column.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for United States Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Graph and download economic data for Poverty Status of People by Age: Related Children in Families, Percent of Poverty Population (HSTPOVARU18YRCFPOPP) from 1959 to 2024 about age, family, child, poverty, percent, persons, population, and USA.

United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 0.500 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.800 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.900 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.100 % in 2005 and a record low of 0.500 % in 2012. United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of underweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's child growth standards released in 2006.; ; UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child malnutrition estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, the decennial census is the official source of population totals for April 1st of each decennial year. In between censuses, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units and the group quarters population for states and counties..Information about the American Community Survey (ACS) can be found on the ACS website. Supporting documentation including code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing, and a full list of ACS tables and table shells (without estimates) can be found on the Technical Documentation section of the ACS website.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.ACS data generally reflect the geographic boundaries of legal and statistical areas as of January 1 of the estimate year. For more information, see Geography Boundaries by Year..Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..Users must consider potential differences in geographic boundaries, questionnaire content or coding, or other methodological issues when comparing ACS data from different years. Statistically significant differences shown in ACS Comparison Profiles, or in data users' own analysis, may be the result of these differences and thus might not necessarily reflect changes to the social, economic, housing, or demographic characteristics being compared. For more information, see Comparing ACS Data..The age dependency ratio is derived by dividing the combined under-18 and 65-and-over populations by the 18-to-64 population and multiplying by 100..The old-age dependency ratio is derived by dividing the population 65 and over by the 18-to-64 population and multiplying by 100..The child dependency ratio is derived by dividing the population under 18 by the 18-to-64 population and multiplying by 100..When information is missing or inconsistent, the Census Bureau logically assigns an acceptable value using the response to a related question or questions. If a logical assignment is not possible, data are filled using a statistical process called allocation, which uses a similar individual or household to provide a donor value. The "Allocated" section is the number of respondents who received an allocated value for a particular subject..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on 2020 Census data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:- The estimate could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations. For a ratio of medians estimate, one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution. For a 5-year median estimate, the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.N The estimate or margin of error cannot be displayed because there were an insufficient number of sample cases in the selected geographic area. (X) The estimate or margin of error is not applicable or not available.median- The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "2,500-")median+ The median falls in the highest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "250,000+").** The margin of error could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations.*** The margin of error could not be computed because the median falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.***** A margin of error is not appropriate because the corresponding estimate is controlled to an independent population or housing estimate. Effectively, the corresponding estimate has no sampling error and the margin of error may be treated as zero.

This statistic looks at the number of children aged between zero and five years of age in the United States from 2013 to 2020. The statistic shows a steady growth in numbers from 2000 to 2015 and then there is a slight decrease over the next five years,

Graph and download economic data for Total One Parent Families with Children under 18 Years Old (TTLOPFWCU) from 1950 to 2024 about 18 years +, family, child, household survey, and USA.

United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 3.000 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.200 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 3.600 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.500 % in 2002 and a record low of 3.000 % in 2012. United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting, male, is the percentage of boys under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 52.268 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 51.652 % for 2016. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 52.247 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.700 % in 1962 and a record low of 49.442 % in 2009. United States US: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

The Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) Child Support Supplement (CSS) collects detailed information about child support agreements and awards, including both required payments and amounts actually received, as well as data about the socioeconomic characteristics of custodial parents and their families.

Units of Response: Custodial Parents

Type of Data: Survey

Tribal Data: Unavailable

COVID-19 Data: No

Periodicity: Biennial

SORN: https://www.osec.doc.gov/opog/PrivacyAct/SORNs/census-3.html

Data Use Agreement: Unavailable

Data Use Agreement Location: Unavailable

Equity Indicators: Geographic Areas;Household Income;Housing Status;Indigenous Population;Sex

Granularity: Family;Household;Individual

Spatial: United States

Geocoding: FIPS Code

United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Female: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 0.700 % in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.500 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Female: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.550 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.800 % in 2005 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2001. United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Female: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of wasting, female, is the proportion of girls under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

aBased on 2000 Census data.*p<0.05, comparing ASD cases to population of 8-year-old children residing in the surveillance area.**p<0.05, comparing population of 8-year-old children residing in the surveillance area to United States population of 8-year-old children according to 2000 Census data.