America’s Children in Brief:

Key National Indicators 

of Well-Being, 2012

America’s Children in Brief:

Key National Indicators 

of Well-Being, 2012

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
2 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

This year’s America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being report continues 

more than a decade of dedication and collaboration by agencies across the Federal Government 

to advance our understanding of our Nation’s children and what may be needed to bring them 

a better tomorrow. We hope you find this report useful. The Forum will be releasing its next full 

report in 2013.

Katherine K. Wallman, Chief Statistician, Office of Management and Budget

Introduction

Each year since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has 

published a report on the well-being of children and families. Pending data availability, the 

Forum updates all 41 indicators annually on its Web site (http://childstats.gov) and alternates 

publishing a detailed report, America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, with 

a summary version that highlights selected indicators. The America’s Children series makes 

Federal data on children and families available in a nontechnical, easy-to-use format in order 

to stimulate discussion among data providers, policymakers, and the public.

The Forum fosters coordination and integration among 22 Federal agencies that produce or 

use statistical data on children and families, and seeks to improve Federal data on children and 

families. The America’s Children series provides accessible compendiums of indicators drawn 

across topics from the most reliable official statistics; it is designed to complement other more 

specialized, technical, or comprehensive reports produced by various Forum agencies.

Indicators are chosen because they are easy to understand, are based on substantial research 

connecting them to child well-being, cut across important areas of children’s lives, are 

measured regularly so that they can be updated and show trends over time, and represent 

large segments of the population, rather than one particular group. 

These child well-being indicators span seven domains: Family and Social Environment, 

Economic Circumstances, Health Care, Physical Environment and Safety, Behavior, Education, 

and Health. This report reveals that preterm births declined for the fourth straight year and 

that the adolescent birth rate declined. Average mathematics scores for 4th- and 8th-grade 

students increased, and the violent crime victimization rate among youth decreased. However, 

the percentage of children living in poverty increased, and the percentage of children with at 

least one parent employed full time, year round decreased. New this year is a detailed figure 

showing the percentage of children in race groups constituting less than 10 percent of the 

population. This detailed figure, available only online at http://childstats.gov, supplements 

Figure 1 in this Brief; the latter uses a wider lens to show the percentage of children by race 

and Hispanic origin. Readers will also note a revised figure showing the percentages of high 

school graduates who completed selected coursework (Figure 13 in this Brief). The Brief 

concludes with a summary table displaying the most recent data for all 41 indicators.

For Further Information

The Forum’s Web site (http://childstats.gov) provides additional information, including:

 Detailed data, including trend data, for indicators discussed in this Brief as well 

as other America’s Children indicators not discussed here.

 Data source descriptions and contact information.

 America’s Children reports from 1997 to the present and other Forum reports.

 Links to Forum agencies, their online data tools, and various international data 

sources.

 Forum news and information on the Forum’s overall structure and organization.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 3

Demographic Background

Understanding the changing demographic characteristics of America’s children is critical for 

shaping social programs and public policies. The number of children determines demand for 

schools, health care, and other services essential to meet the daily needs of families. Although 

the number of children living in the United States has grown, the ratio of children to adults 

has decreased. At the same time, the racial and Hispanic composition of the Nation’s children 

continues to change.

In 2011, there were 73.9 million children in the United States, 1.5 million more than in 

2000. This number is projected to increase to 101.6 million by 2050. In 2011, there were 

similar numbers of children in each of the following three age groups: 0–5 years (24.3 

million), 6–11 years (24.6 million), and 12–17 years (25.1 million).

In 2011, children made up 24 percent of the population, down from a peak of 36 percent at 

the end of the “baby boom” (1964). Children are projected to remain a fairly stable percentage 

of the total population through 2050, when they are projected to compose 23 percent of the 

population.

Racial and ethnic diversity has grown in the United States, and the composition of the 

population continues to change. By 2023, less than half of all children are projected to be 

White, non-Hispanic (Figure 1). By 2050, 39 percent of U.S. children are projected to be 

Hispanic (up from 24 percent in 2011), and 38 percent are projected to be White, nonHispanic (down from 53 percent in 2011). Children who identify with two or more race 

groups are projected to make up 5 percent of all U.S. children by 2050 (up from 4 percent 

in 2011). Children who are Asian alone are projected to increase from 4 percent of the U.S. 

child population in 2011 to 6 percent in 2050.

0

100

Percent

20

40

60

80

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Projected

Figure 1 Percentage of children ages 0–17 in the United States by race and Hispanic 

origin, 1980–2011 and projected 2012–2050

White, NH

Hispanic

NHPI, NH

Black, NH

Asian, NH

Two or more races, NH

American Indian and Alaskan Native, NH

Asian or Pacific Islander, NH

NOTE: The acronym NH refers to non-Hispanic origin. The acronym NHPI refers to the Native Hawaiian and Other 

Pacific Islander population. Each group represents the non-Hispanic population, with the exception of the Hispanic 

category itself. Race data from 2000 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race 

and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Population projections are 

based on Census 2000 and may not be consistent with the 2010 Census results. 

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates and Projections.
4 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Family and Social Environment

The families that children grow up in and the social environment in which they live can have 

major effects on their well-being. Children’s development and the opportunities and challenges 

they will face can be affected by family composition, mother’s marital status and age, whether 

parents are born in the United States, the language spoken at home, and environments of abuse 

or neglect. 

Family composition is dynamic and is associated with critical parental and economic resources. 

In 2011, 69 percent of children ages 0–17 lived with two parents (65 percent with 2 married 

parents),1

 27 percent with one parent, and 4 percent with no parents. Among children living 

with neither parent, more than half lived with a grandparent. Seven percent of all children ages 

0–17 lived with a parent who was in a cohabiting union. A cohabiting union could involve one 

parent and their cohabiting partner or two cohabiting parents. 

A mother’s marital status when a child is born may impact the family structure and economic 

security of her children.2

 The percentage of all births that were to unmarried women, which 

reflects changes in the birth rate for unmarried women relative to the birth rate for married 

women, more than doubled between 1980 and 2009, with the largest increases for women 

in their twenties. In 2010, 40.8 percent of births were to unmarried women, down from 

41.0 percent in 2009.

Young maternal age can also affect the resources available to the child, just as having a child 

during adolescence can affect the mother’s opportunities. In 2010, the adolescent birth rate3

was 17.3 births per 1,000 women ages 15–17 (109,193 births), down significantly from 19.6 

births per 1,000 in 2009 (Figure 2). The rate dropped one-fifth from 2007 through 2010 

0

20

40

60

80

100

Live births per 1,000 females ages 15–17

Black, non-Hispanic

Hispanic

American Indian or Alaskan Native

White, non-Hispanic

Total

Asian or Pacific Islander

White

Black

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

NOTE: Data for 2010 are preliminary. Race refers to mother’s race. The 1977 Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial 

groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. Although state reporting of birth

certificate data is transitioning to comply with the 1997 OMB standard for race and ethnicity statistics, data from states

reporting multiple races were bridged to the single-race categories of the 1977 OMB standards for comparability with 

other states and for trend analysis. Rates for 1980–1989 are not shown for Hispanics; White, non-Hispanics; or Black,

non-Hispanics because information on Hispanic origin of the mother was not reported on birth certificates of most states 

and because population estimates by Hispanic ethnicity for the reporting states were not available. Data on race and 

Hispanic origin are collected and reported separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.

Figure 2 Birth rates for females ages 15–17 by race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2010

1 Parents can be biological, step, or adoptive.

2 Kennedy, S. and Bumpass, L. (2008). Cohabitation and children’s living arrangements: New estimates from the United States. Demographic 

Research, 19, 663–92.

3 The birth rate for adolescents ages 15–17 includes married and unmarried teenagers.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 5

(from 21.7 to 17.3 per 1,000), and dropped more than half compared with 1991 (38.6 per 

1,000). Between 2009 and 2010, the adolescent birth rate declined to record lows for all race 

and ethnicity groups. The largest percentage decline was reported for Asian/Pacific Islander 

adolescents, from 6.3 to 5.1 births per 1,000. The rate for Hispanic adolescents fell from 

37.3 to 32.3 per 1,000, for Black, non-Hispanic adolescents from 31.0 to 27.4 per 1,000, 

and for White, non-Hispanic adolescents from 11.0 to 10.0 per 1,000. 

A growing number of children in the United States have a foreign-born parent. The 

percentage of children ages 0–17 living with at least one foreign-born parent rose from 

15 percent in 1994 to 23 percent in 2011. Twenty-one percent of children were native-born 

children with at least one foreign-born parent, and 3 percent were foreign-born children 

with at least one foreign-born parent.

Having parents who were born outside the United States can affect the language spoken 

at home. In 2010, 22 percent of children ages 5–17 spoke a language other than English at 

home, up from 18 percent in 2000 (Figure 3). Children who have difficulty speaking English 

may face greater challenges progressing in school and in the labor market. The percentage of 

children who both spoke a language other than English at home and had difficulty speaking 

English (speaks less than “very well”) was 5 percent, down from 5.5 percent in 2000. In 

2010, 16 percent of Asian children and 15 percent of Hispanic children4

 both spoke a 

language other than English at home and had difficulty speaking English.

NOTE: Numbers from the 1995 and 1999 Current Population Survey (CPS) may reflect changes in the survey because 

of newly instituted computer-assisted interviewing techniques and/or because of the change in the population controls 

to the 1990 Census-based estimates, with adjustments. A break is shown in the lines between 1999 and 2000 

because data from 1979 to 1999 come from the CPS, while beginning in 2000 the data come from the American 

Community Survey (ACS). The questions were the same on the CPS and the ACS questionnaires.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, October (1992, 1995, and 1999) and November (1979 and 1989) Current 

Population Surveys, and 2000–2010 American Community Survey.

0

30

20

10

40

50

100

Percent

1979 1989 1992 1995 1999 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Children who speak a language 

other than English at home

Figure 3 Percentage of children ages 5–17 who speak a language other than English 

at home and who have difficulty speaking English, selected years 1979–2010

Children who speak a language other than English 

at home and have difficulty speaking English

Exposure to environments of abuse or neglect can affect children’s development and overall 

well-being. Child maltreatment comprises neglect (including medical neglect), as well as 

overt physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. In 2010, the rate of substantiated reports of 

child maltreatment5

 was 10 per 1,000 children ages 0–17. Children under age 1 experienced 

the highest rate of maltreatment: in 2010, there were 21 substantiated child maltreatment 

reports per 1,000 children under age 1.

4 In this survey, respondents were asked to choose one or more races. All race groups discussed in this paragraph refer to people who indicated 

only one racial identity. Hispanic children may be of any race.

5 The count of child victims is based on the number of investigations by Child Protective Services that found the child to be a victim of one or 

more types of maltreatment. The count of victims is, therefore, a report-based count and is a “duplicated count,” since an individual child may 

have been maltreated more than once.
6 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Economic Circumstances

Measures of poverty,6 secure parental employment, and food insecurity offer insight into 

children’s material well-being and the economic factors which shape their health and 

development. 

In 2010, 22 percent of children ages 0–17 (16.4 million) lived in poverty. This is up from 

a low of 16 percent in 2000 and 2001. Consistent with expectations related to the economic 

downturn, child poverty has increased annually since 2006, when the rate was 17 percent.

In 2010, 39 percent of Black, non-Hispanic children, 35 percent of Hispanic children, 

and 12 percent of White, non-Hispanic children lived in poverty.7

 Young children were 

more likely to live in poverty than older children. In 2010, one in four children ages 0–5 

lived in poverty, compared with one child in five for those ages 6–17.

For children living in female-householder families, the poverty rate was 47 percent in 2010, 

an increase from 45 percent in 2009 (Figure 4). The poverty rate was 57 percent for Hispanic 

children in female-householder families, 53 percent for Black, non-Hispanic children, and 

36 percent for White, non-Hispanic children. For children living in male-householder 

families, the poverty rate was 29 percent in 2010, not statistically different from 2009.

NOTE: In 2010, the poverty threshold for a two-parent, two-child family was $22,113. Historically, the proportion of

children in male-householder families has been small. Select data for this group are available as part of Detailed Tables 

at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/index.html.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Hispanic, female-householder families

Black, female-householder families

Hispanic, married couple

Black, married couple

White, married couple

Total, married couple

Total, female-householder families

White, female-householder families

Figure 4 Percentage of children ages 0–17 living in poverty by race, Hispanic origin, 

and family type, 1980–2010

In 2010, 10 percent of children lived in families with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty 

threshold (a value of $11,057 for a family of four). This estimate is the highest since 1994. 

About 20 percent of Black, non-Hispanic children, 15 percent of Hispanic children, and 5 

percent of White, non-Hispanic children lived in families with incomes below one-half of 

the poverty threshold in 2010.

6 Following Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, poverty status is determined by comparing a family’s (or 

an unrelated individual’s) income to one of 48 dollar amounts called thresholds. The thresholds vary by the size of the family and the members’ 

ages. In 2010, the poverty threshold for a family with two adults and two children was $22,113. For details, see http://www.census.gov/hhes/

www/poverty/data/index.html.

7 In this survey, respondents were asked to choose one or more races. All race groups discussed in this paragraph refer to people who indicated 

only one racial identity. Hispanic children may be of any race.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 7

Secure parental employment reduces the incidence of poverty and its attendant risks to 

children. The percentage of children with at least one parent working year round, full time 

fell to 71 percent in 2010, down from 72 percent in 2009 and the lowest since 1993 (Figure 

5). Only 41 percent of children in families maintained by a single mother had a parent who 

worked year round, full time in 2010, down from 44 percent in 2009. Black, non-Hispanic 

children and Hispanic children were less likely than White, non-Hispanic children to have a 

parent working year round, full time. About 61 percent of Hispanic children and 53 percent 

of Black, non-Hispanic children lived in families with secure parental employment in 2010, 

compared with 79 percent of White, non-Hispanic children.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Children living in families maintained by two married 

parents; at least one worked year round, full time All children living with parent(s); at 

least one worked year round, full time

Children living in families maintained by single mothers who worked year round, full time

Children living in families maintained by single fathers who worked year round, full time

Figure 5 Percentage of children ages 0–17 living with at least one parent employed 

year round, full time by family structure, 1980–2010

Another measure of economic well-being is a family’s ability to put enough nutritious 

food on the table. A household that is food secure has access at all times to enough food 

for active, healthy lives for all family members. Food-insecure households lack consistent 

access to adequate food. About 22 percent of children lived in households that were food 

insecure at times in 2010, down from 23 percent in 2009.8

 About 1.3 percent of children 

lived in households with very low food security9

 among children at times in 2010, 

unchanged from 2009.

The prevalence of food insecurity varied by household income in 2010. Among children 

living in households with incomes below the poverty threshold, 44 percent were in foodinsecure households. About 32 percent of children with household incomes between 100 

and 199 percent of the poverty threshold were in food-insecure households, and 9 percent 

of children with household incomes at or above 200 percent of the poverty line lived in 

food-insecure households.

8 The food security status of households is assessed based on self-reports of difficulty in obtaining enough food, reduced food intake, reduced 

diet quality, and anxiety about an adequate food supply. In some households classified as food insecure, only adults’ diets and food intakes were 

affected, but in a majority of such households, children’s eating patterns were also disrupted to some extent, and the quality and variety of their 

diets were adversely affected. See Nord, M. (2009). Food insecurity in households with children: Prevalence, severity, and household characteristics

(Economic Information Bulletin No. 56). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Retrieved from 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB56/.

9 In households classified as having very low food security among children, a parent or guardian reported that at some time during the year 

one or more children were hungry, skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day because the household could not afford enough food.
8 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Health Care

Health care includes the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the promotion 

of emotional, behavioral, and physical well-being. Effective health care is an important aspect 

of achieving good health outcomes. Health insurance status and usual source of health care 

affect whether care is received and the type of care provided. The receipt of immunization 

and dental visits characterize care utilization.

Children with health insurance, whether public or private, are more likely than children 

without insurance to have regular access to health care. In 2010, 90 percent of children had 

health insurance coverage at least some time during the year,10 not statistically different from 

2009 (Figure 6). The number of children without coverage at least some time during the year 

was 7.3 million (10 percent of all children). The percentage of children who were covered by 

public health insurance at least some time during the year increased from 37 percent in 2009 

to 38 percent in 2010. The percentage of children covered by private health insurance at least 

some time during the year in 2010 was 60 percent, down from 61 percent in 2009. 

NOTE: Children are considered to be covered by health insurance if they had public or private coverage any time

during the year. Public health insurance for children consists primarily of Medicaid, but also includes Medicare,

Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), and Tricare, the health benefit program for members of the Armed 

Forces and their dependents. Estimates beginning in 1999 include follow-up questions to verify health insurance status. 

The data from 1996 to 2009 have been revised since initially published. For more information, see user note at: 

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/data/revhlth/usernote.html.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, unpublished tables from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic 

Supplements.

1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Any health insurance

Private health insurance

Public health insurance

Figure 6 Percentage of children ages 0–17 covered by health insurance at some time 

during the year by type of health insurance, 1987–2010

Having a usual source of care—a particular person or place a child goes to for sick and 

preventive care—allows access to the timely and appropriate use of pediatric services.11,12

In 2010, 5 percent of children ages 0–17 had no usual source of health care; this was no 

different from the percentage in 2009. Children who were uninsured were about 4 times as 

likely as those with health insurance not to have a usual source of care in 2010 (29 percent 

compared with about 7 percent).

10 Children are considered to be covered by health insurance if they had public or private coverage at any time during the year. Some children are 

covered by both types of insurance; hence, the sum of public and private is greater than the total.

11 Simpson, G., Bloom, B., Cohen, R.A., and Parsons, P.E. (1997). Access to health care. Part 1: Children. Vital and Health Statistics, 10 (Series 

196). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

12 Folton, G.L. (1995). Critical issues in urban emergency medical services for children. Pediatrics, 96(2), 174–179.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 9

Vaccination coverage rates measure the extent to which children and adolescents are being 

protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. A single dose of the tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis 

(Tdap) vaccine is recommended at age 11 or 12. Vaccination coverage with 1 dose (or more) 

of the Tdap vaccine for ages 13–17 increased from 11 percent in 2006 to 69 percent in 2010 

(Figure 7). The meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccine prevents a serious bacterial 

illness and is a leading cause of meningitis. Two doses are recommended for adolescents: the 

first at age 11 or 12 and a second at age 16. Coverage with 1 dose (or more) of the MenACWY 

vaccine increased from 12 percent in 2006 to 63 percent in 2010. The human papillomavirus 

(HPV) vaccine protects against the most common sexually transmitted virus, which can cause 

cervical cancer in women. Three doses of the HPV vaccine have been routinely recommended 

for adolescent females ages 11–12. The percentage of adolescent females ages 13–17 initiating 

the HPV series with 1 dose or more increased from 25 percent in 2007 to 49 percent in 2010, 

and for those receiving 3 doses or more of the HPV series increased from 18 percent in 2008 

to 32 percent in 2010. 

NOTE: Data collection for 2006 and 2007 only included the fourth quarter. Human papillomavirus (HPV) coverage

level indicates females initiating the 3-dose series. Routinely recommended vaccines for administration beginning at

ages 11–12 include tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccines 

(both one dose), and HPV vaccine (3 doses) for females only. The recommended immunization schedule for adolescents 

is available at http://198.246.98.21/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm#printable.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and 

National Center for Health Statistics, National Immunization Survey—Teen.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Males and Females Females only

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Tdap (1 or more doses)

MenACWY

(1 or more doses)

HPV (1 or more doses)

Figure 7 Percentage of adolescents ages 13–17 with the routinely recommended-forage vaccinations, 2006–2010

Good oral health requires both self-care and professional care. In 2010, 85 percent of children 

ages 5–17 had a dental visit in the past year, unchanged from 2009. Among children ages 

5–17 in poverty, 79 percent had a dental visit in the past year, compared with 90 percent of 

children ages 5–17 with family incomes 200 percent or more of the poverty level. Fifty-six 

percent of uninsured children ages 5–17 had a dental visit in the past year, compared with 

85 percent of children ages 5–17 with public and 90 percent with private health insurance. 

In 2010, children ages 2–4 were less likely to have had a dental visit in the past year (52 

percent) than children ages 5–17 (85 percent).
10 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Physical Environment and Safety

The physical environment in which children develop should be healthy and safe from 

hazardous conditions. Indicators of environmental quality include exposure to outdoor 

and indoor air pollutants and surfaces contaminated with lead. The safety of children’s 

environments is also measured by housing problems and violent crime victimization.

Outdoor air pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate 

matter, can cause respiratory problems and aggravate asthma in children.13,14,15,16 In 2010, 

67 percent of children ages 0–17 lived in counties with pollutant concentrations above the 

levels of one or more current air quality standards, up from 59 percent in 2009, but down 

from 77 percent in 2003. 

Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the probability of lower respiratory tract infections, 

asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).17 Since 2005, the percentage of children 

ages 0–6 living in a home where someone smoked regularly declined in all racial and income 

groups, while the disparities among racial and income groups remain unchanged. In 2010, 

10 percent of children ages 0–6 living in poverty lived in a home where someone smoked 

regularly, down from 15 percent in 2005 and 37 percent in 1994 (Figure 8). 

0

100

Percent

10

20

30

40

50

NOTE: A home where someone smoked regularly is defined as one in which smoking by a resident occurred 4 or

more days per week.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.

1994 2005 2010

Total Below

100% poverty

100–199%

poverty 

200% poverty 

and above

Figure 8 Percentage of children ages 0–6 living in homes where someone smoked 

regularly by poverty status, 1994, 2005, and 2010

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “no level of lead in a 

child’s blood can be specified as safe.”18 On average, children’s IQ scores decrease by 6 points 

as blood lead levels increase from 0 to 10 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL).19,20 The estimate 

13 U.S. EPA. Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-05/004aF-cF, 2006. 14 U.S. EPA. Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen—Health Criteria (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-08/071, 2008. 15 U.S. EPA. Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides—Health Criteria (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-08/047F, 2008. 16 U.S. EPA. Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 

EPA/600/R-08/139F, 2009. 17 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: A report of the 

Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/

secondhandsmoke/report-index.html. 18 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). Preventing lead poisoning in young children. Atlanta: CDC, available at: http://www.cdc.

gov/nceh/lead/publications/PrevLeadPoisoning.pdf. 19 Lanphear, B.P., Hornung, R., Khoury, J., Yolton, K., Baghurst, P., Bellinger, D.C., . . . Roberts, R. (2005). Low-level environmental lead 

exposure and children’s intellectual function: An international pooled analysis. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(7), 894–899. 20 Jusko, T.A., Henderson, C.R.Jr., Lanphear, B.P., Cory-Slechta, D.A., Parsons, P.J., and Canfield, R.L. (2008). Blood lead concentrations 

< 10 μg/dL and child intelligence at 6 years of age. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(2), 243–248.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 11

for 2007–2010 of children with levels greater than 10μg/dL is a low percentage and the 

available sample is too small to provide a statistically reliable estimate, as in 2003–2006. For 

2007–2010, 3 percent of children had a blood lead level at or above 5 μg/dL, and 13 percent 

had levels at or above 2.5 μg/dL; the corresponding percentages in 2003–2006 were 4 percent 

and 21 percent. Black, non-Hispanic children had the highest blood lead levels among all 

racial and ethnic groups in 2007–2010; these percentages were approximately double the 

percentage for all children.

Inadequate, unhealthy, crowded, or too-costly housing can pose serious problems for children’s 

physical, psychological, and material well-being.21 In 2009, 45 percent of U.S. households 

with children had physically inadequate housing, crowded housing, and/or a housing cost 

burden of more than 30 percent of household income.22 Cost burdens have driven significant 

increases in the overall incidence of housing problems over the long-term and especially since 

2003, when 37 percent of households with children had one or more of these problems.

One measure of children’s safety is their violent crime victimization rate. In 2010, the rate 

at which youth were victims of serious violent crimes was 7 crimes per 1,000 juveniles ages 

12–17, down from 11 per 1,000 in 2009 (Figure 9). Serious violent victimization rates of 

male youth declined from 15 per 1,000 males ages 12–17 in 2009 to 9 per 1,000 in 2010. 

Serious violent victimization rates of female youth remained relatively stable between 2009 

and 2010. The rate of youth crime victimization declined sharply from the early 1990s 

through the early 2000s, and has declined more slowly since then.

NOTE: Serious violent crimes include aggravated assault, rape, robbery (stealing by force or threat of violence), and

homicide. Homicide data were not available for 2010 at the time of publication. The number of homicides for 2009 

is included in the overall total for 2010. In 2009, homicides represented about 1 percent of serious violent crime, and 

the total number of homicides of juveniles has been relatively stable over the last decade. Because of changes made 

in the victimization survey, data prior to 1992 are adjusted to make them comparable with data collected under the 

redesigned methodology. Due to further methodological changes in the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey, 

use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates to other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007,

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=764, for more information. Estimates may vary from previous 

publication due to updating of more recent homicide and victimization numbers.

SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Supplementary Homicide Reports.

0

Youth victims per 1,000 juveniles ages 12–17

Male

Total

Female

100

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

20

40

60

80

Figure 9 Rate of serious violent crime victimization of youth ages 12–17 by gender, 

1980–2010

In 2010, the total death rate among children ages 5–14 was 13 deaths per 100,000 children. 

The death rate from unintentional injury, the leading cause of deaths, was 4 per 100,000 in 

2010. The rate of unintentional injury in 1980, the first year reported in America’s Children, 

was 15 per 100,000 children ages 5–14.

21 Breysse, P., Farr, N., Galke, W., Lanphear, B., Morley, R., Bergofsky, L. (2004). The relationship between housing and health: Children at risk. 

Environmental Health Perspectives, 112(15), 1583–1588. Krieger, J., and Higgins, D.L. (2002). Housing and health: Time again for public 

health action. American Journal of Public Health 92(5), 758–68. 22 Paying 30 percent or more of income for housing may leave insufficient resources for other basic needs. See Panel on Poverty and Family 

Assistance, National Research Council. (1995). Measuring poverty: A new approach. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Retrieved 

from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/povmeas/toc.html.
12 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Behavior

Participation in high-risk or illicit behaviors can have immediate and long-term negative 

effects on the overall development and well-being of youth, their families, and our society. 

These behaviors include using illicit drugs, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, engaging 

in sexual activity, and participating in violent crimes.

Illicit drug use is a risk-taking behavior that has potentially serious negative consequences. 

Commonly abused drugs include “street” drugs such as marijuana and cocaine as well as 

the non-medical use of prescription drugs such as pain relievers and stimulants. Recent illicit 

drug use among youth remained unchanged from 2010 to 2011. In 2011, 9 percent of 8thgraders, 19 percent of 10th-graders, and 25 percent of 12th-graders reported current illicit 

drug use, that is, use in the past 30 days (Figure 10). Among high school seniors, current 

non-medical use of prescription pain relievers has remained steady for the past 5 years, with 

3.6 percent of high school seniors reporting use in 2011.23

NOTE: Use of “any illicit drug” includes any use of marijuana, LSD, other hallucinogens, crack, other cocaine, or 

heroin, or any use of other narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, or tranquilizers not under a doctor’s orders. For 8thand 10th-graders, the use of other narcotics and barbiturates has been excluded because these younger respondents

appear to overreport use (perhaps because they include the use of nonprescription drugs in their responses). Data for 

10th-graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling error. See 

http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.

0

100

Percent

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2011

12th grade

10th grade

8th grade

10

20

30

40

50

Figure 10 Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported using illicit 

drugs in the past 30 days by grade, 1980–2011

Smoking has serious long-term consequences, including the risk of smoking-related diseases 

and premature death. Each day in the United States, approximately 3,276 young people 

between the ages of 12–17 smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 775 youth become 

daily cigarette smokers.24 Nevertheless, the percentages of adolescents who smoke regularly 

have reached their lowest levels since monitoring began. In 2011, about 2 percent of 8thgraders reported smoking cigarettes daily, a decline from the peak in 1996, when over 10 

percent of 8th-graders reported daily cigarette smoking. Similarly, declines in daily smoking 

were reported for 10th-graders—6 percent in 2011, down from a peak of 18 percent in 

1996; and for 12th-graders—10 percent, down from a peak of 25 percent in 1997.

23 Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., and Schulenberg, J.E. (2012). Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: 

Overview of key findings, 2011. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan, pp. 78.

24 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed 

Tables. 
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 13

Alcohol use by adolescents can also have severe consequences; it is associated with problems 

in school, fighting, crime, motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths.25 Early onset of heavy 

drinking, defined here as 5 or more alcoholic beverages in a row or during a single occasion in 

the previous 2 weeks, may be especially problematic, potentially increasing the likelihood of 

these negative outcomes. Between 2006 and 2011, heavy drinking declined from 9 percent 

to 6 percent among 8th-graders, from 20 percent to 15 percent among 10th-graders, and 

from 25 percent to 22 percent among 12th-graders. 

Early sexual activity is associated with emotional26 and physical health risks. Youth who 

engage in sexual activity are at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) 

and becoming pregnant. In 2009, 46 percent of high school students reported ever having 

had sexual intercourse, a decline from 54 percent in 1991, the first year of the survey. Also, 

in 2009, among those who had sexual intercourse during the past 3 months, 61 percent 

reported use of a condom during the last sexual intercourse, and 20 percent reported the 

use of birth control pills to prevent pregnancy before the last sexual intercourse.

One measure of youth violence in society is the rate of serious violent crimes committed 

by youth perpetrators. In 2010, the serious violent crime offending rate was 9 crimes per 

1,000 juveniles ages 12–17, totaling 231,000 such crimes involving juveniles (Figure 11). 

The percentage of all serious violent crimes which involved youth offenders has ranged 

from 16 percent in 2002 to 26 percent in 1993, the peak year for youth violence. In 2010, 

18 percent of all such victimizations reportedly involved a juvenile offender.

NOTE: The offending rate is the ratio of the number of crimes (aggravated assault, rape, and robbery, i.e., stealing by 

force or threat of violence) reported to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) that involved at least one 

offender perceived by the victim to be 12–17 years of age, plus the number of homicides reported to the police that

involved at least one juvenile offender, to the number of juveniles in the population. Homicide data were not available

for 2010 at the time of publication. The number of homicides for 2009 is included in the overall total for 2010. In 

2009, homicides represented about 1 percent of serious violent crime, and the total number of homicides by juveniles 

has been relatively stable over the last decade. Because of changes made in the victimization survey, data prior to 

1992 are adjusted to make them comparable with data collected under the redesigned methodology. Due to further

methodological changes in the 2006 NCVS, use caution when comparing 2006 criminal perpetration estimates to

those for other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007, http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=764, for 

more information. Estimates may vary from previous publications due to updating of more recent homicide numbers.

SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Supplementary Homicide Reports. 

 

0

40

20

60

80

100

Youth offending per 1,000 youth ages 12–17

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Figure 11 Rate of serious violent crimes by youth perpetrators ages 12–17, 1980–2010

25 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2004/2005). Alcohol and development in youth—A multidisciplinary overview. Alcohol 

Research & Health, 28(3),107–176. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh283/toc28-3.htm.

26 Meier, A.M. (2007). Adolescent first sex and subsequent mental health. American Journal of Sociology 112(6), 1811–1847.
14 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Education

Education shapes the personal development and prospects of our children, as well as the 

economic and social progress of our Nation. Aspects of academic performance, such as 

mastering coursework, completing high school, and enrolling in college, provide opportunities 

for higher levels of education and greater success in the workforce. Youth neither enrolled 

in school nor working are at risk of limiting their life chances at a critical stage.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measures national trends in 

student academic performance in mathematics, reading, and other subjects. The average 

4th-grade NAEP mathematics score in 2011 was higher than the scores in both 1990 and 

2009 (Figure 12). The average 8th-grade mathematics score in 2011 was higher than the score 

in all previous assessment years and 1 point higher than the score in 2009. The average NAEP 

reading score at grade 4 (also on a scale of 0–500) increased from 217 to 221 between 1992 

and 2011, but was unchanged from the score in 2009. At grade 8, the 2011 average reading 

score (265) was higher than the scores in both 1992 (260), when the data were first collected, 

and 2009 (264). 

NOTE: Data are available for 1990, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. In early years of

the assessment, testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, small group testing) for children with disabilities and 

limited-English-proficient students were not permitted.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational 

Progress.

Scale score

1990 1992 1996 2000 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

0

200

225

250

275

300

325

500

Without accommodations With accommodations

Figure 12 Average mathematics scale scores for students in grades 4 and 8, selected 

years 1990–2011

Grade 4

Grade 8

The percentages of high school graduates completing mathematics, science, and foreign 

language coursework in high school27 have increased over time. Regarding mathematics, 

the percentages of graduates who had completed algebra II and analysis/precalculus increased 

between 1982 and 2009 (Figure 13). For science, there were increases during this period in 

the percentages of graduates who had taken courses in both biology and chemistry as well as 

those who had taken courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. Increases in the percentages 

of graduates who had taken other mathematics and science courses were also observed 

between 1982 and 2009. The percentage who had taken calculus, for example, rose from 

5 percent to 16 percent during this period. Additionally, between 1982 and 2009, there were 

27 Data reflect only the percentage of graduates who earned credit in each course while in high school (grades 9–12).
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 15

increases in the percentages of graduates who had completed coursework in biology (77 

percent vs. 96 percent), chemistry (32 percent vs. 70 percent), and physics (15 percent vs. 

36 percent). Foreign language coursetaking also became more prevalent between 1982 and 

2009, with an increase from 54 percent to 86 percent in the percentage of high school 

graduates who had taken a foreign language.

NOTE: Data reflect only the percentage of graduates who earned credit for each course while in high school and do not 

count those graduates who took these courses prior to entering high school. “Algebra II” includes courses where 

trigonometry or geometry has been combined with algebra II. The percentage for “biology and chemistry” indicates the 

percentage of graduates who had completed at least one credit each in a biology and a chemistry course. Similarly, the 

percentage for “biology, chemistry, and physics” indicates the percentage of graduates who had completed at least one 

credit each in a biology, a chemistry, and a physics course.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, High School Transcript Studies: High 

School and Beyond Study and National Assessment of Educational Progress Transcript Study. 

 

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Algebra II

Biology and chemistry

Analysis/precalculus

Biology, chemistry, and physics

1982 1990 1994 1998 2000 2005 2009

Figure 13 Percentage of high school graduates who had completed selected 

mathematics and science courses or course combinations, selected years 

1982–2009

In 2010, 68 percent of high school completers28 enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college 

immediately after completing high school, up from 49 percent in 1980. Between 1980 

and 2010, the immediate college enrollment rate increased from 50 percent to 70 percent 

for White, non-Hispanics and from 44 percent to 66 percent for Black, non-Hispanics.29,30

Among Hispanics, the immediate college enrollment rate increased from 47 percent in 

1999 to 60 percent in 2010.

Detachment of youth from school and employment, activities that typically occupy teenagers, 

increases their risk of having lower earnings and a less stable employment history than their 

peers who pursued these activities.31 In an average week during the 2011 school year, 8 percent 

of youth ages 16–19 were neither enrolled in school nor working. Black, non-Hispanic youth 

and Hispanic youth were more likely than White, non-Hispanic youth to be neither enrolled 

in school nor working (11 percent each compared with 7 percent). Youth ages 18–19 were 

almost five times as likely as youth ages 16–17 to be detached from school and work activities 

(14 percent compared with 3 percent).

28 Refers to those who completed 12 years of school for years 1980–1991 and to those who earned a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., a 

General Educational Development [GED] certificate) for all years since 1992.

29 Among Blacks and Hispanics, estimates of immediate college enrollment rates have fluctuated over time, very likely due to small sample sizes. 

For this reason, 3-year moving averages are used to measure the trends.

30 In this survey, respondents were asked to choose one or more races. All race groups discussed in this paragraph refer to people who indicated 

only one racial identity. Hispanic children may be of any race.

31 Fernandes, A., and Gabe, T. (2009). Disconnected youth: A look at 16- to 24-year-olds who are not working or in school. (CRS Report No. 

R40535). Retrieved from Congressional Research Service Web site: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40535.pdf.
16 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Health

Children’s health is influenced by their biology, social and physical environment, behavior, 

and the availability of services. Birth outcomes (preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant 

mortality) are influenced by a variety of factors, including prenatal care, and affect a child’s 

long-term health and development. Several health conditions among school-aged children, 

including asthma, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and obesity, are of particular public 

health concern.

Infants born preterm or with low birthweight32 are at high risk of early death and long-term 

health and developmental problems.33 Following many years of increases, the preterm birth 

rate declined for the fourth straight year, from 12.8 percent in 2006 to 12.0 percent in 2010 

(Figure 14). Late preterm births (infants born at 34–36 weeks’ gestation) accounted for most 

of the increase over the past two decades and for the recent declines. Between 2009 and 

2010, preterm rates declined for White, non-Hispanic (10.9 percent to 10.8 percent), Black, 

non-Hispanic (17.5 percent to 17.1 percent), and Hispanic women (12.0 percent to 11.8 

percent).34 The percentage of infants born with low birthweight in 2010 (8.1 percent) was 

unchanged from 2009, although it declined from 2006 to 2010. 

NOTE: Data for 2010 are preliminary. Late preterm infants are born at 34–36 weeks of gestation; early preterm

infants are born at less than 34 weeks of gestation. Moderately low birthweight infants weigh 1,500–2,499 grams at

birth; very low birthweight infants weigh less than 1,500 grams at birth.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.

0

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

5

10

15

Total

Total Late preterm

Moderately low birthweight

Early preterm

Very low birthweight

Preterm Low birthweight

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

100

Percent

Figure 14 Percentage of infants born preterm and percentage of infants born with low 

birthweight, 1990–2010

The infant mortality rate declined each year from 2007 to 2010. Between 2009 and 2010 

the rate declined from 6.4 to 6.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. 

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases among children. In 2010, 9 percent 

of all children were reported to currently have asthma, which includes children with active 

asthma symptoms and children with well-controlled asthma. This percentage has increased 

slightly from 2001 to 2010. 

32 Preterm births are births less than 37 weeks gestation. Low birthweight infants weigh less than 2,500 grams, or 5 lbs. 8 oz. at birth.

33 Institute of Medicine, Committee on Understanding Premature Birth and Assuring Healthy Outcomes and Board on Health Sciences Policy. 

(2005). Preterm birth: Causes, consequences, and prevention. R.E. Behrman and A.S. Butler. (Eds). Washington, DC: The National Academies 

Press. Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2006/Preterm-Birth-Causes-Consequences-and-Prevention.aspx.

34 Race refers to mother’s race.
For further information, visit http://childstats.gov. 17

Children with active asthma symptoms are at risk for poorer health outcomes. Over the past 

decade, between 5 and 6 percent of all children (or 3 out of 5 children who currently have 

asthma) had one or more asthma attacks in the previous 12 months.

Good emotional and behavioral health is important for children’s sense of well-being, their 

relationships with family and peers, and achieving their potential. In 2010, 6 percent of 

parents reported that their child had serious difficulties with emotions, concentration, 

behavior, or being able to get along with other people (Figure 15). The percentage for boys 

(7 percent) was higher than that for girls (5 percent); the percentage for children in poverty 

(10 percent) was twice that for children from families with incomes of 200 percent or more of 

the poverty threshold (5 percent); and the percentage for children from single-mother families 

(10 percent) was more than twice that of children from two-parent families (4 percent).

NOTE: Children with serious emotional or behavioral difficulties are defined as those whose parent responded “yes, 

definite” or “yes, severe” to the following question on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ):

35 “Overall, 

do you think that (child) has difficulties in any of the following areas: emotions, concentration, behavior, or being

able to get along with other people?” Response choices were: (1) no; (2) yes, minor difficulties; (3) yes, definite 

difficulties; (4) yes, severe difficulties. These difficulties may be similar to but do not equate with the Federal definition 

of serious emotional disturbances (SED), used by the Federal government for planning purposes.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey. 

0

Percent

Male

Total

Female

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

100

5

10

15

Figure 15 Percentage of children ages 4–17 reported by a parent to have serious 

emotional or behavioral difficulties by gender, 2001–2010

Although the prevalence of obesity among children ages 6–17 increased sharply from 

1976–1980 to 1999–2000, there was no significant change between 2001–2002 and 

2009–2010. In 2009–2010, 18 percent of children ages 6–17 were obese, not statistically 

different from 2007–2008. In 2009–2010, Mexican American and Black, non-Hispanic 

children were more likely to be obese than White, non-Hispanic children. 

Poor diet quality is a major factor in the high rate of obesity among children. In 2007–2008, 

on average, the diets of children ages 2–17 were too high in saturated fat and sodium, had 

too many calories from solid fats and added sugars, and were lacking in vegetables, fruits, and 

whole grains; they were adequate in total grains. Federal diet quality standards for total fruit, 

whole fruit, and milk were met or exceeded only for children ages 2–5.36

35 Goodman, R. (1999). The extended version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and 

consequent burden. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 791–799.

36 The Healthy Eating Index-2005 measures how well diets meet the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Guenther, P.M., Reedy, J., and 

Krebs-Smith, S.M. (2008). Development of the Healthy Eating Index-2005. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(11), 1896–1901. 
18 America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

America’s Children at a Glance

Previous 

Value (Year)

Most Recent 

Value (Year)

Change 

Between

Years

Demographic Background

Child population*

Children ages 0–17 in the United States 74.1 million

(2010)

73.9 million

(2011)

Children as a percentage of the population*

Children ages 0–17 in the United States 24.0% (2010) 23.7% (2011)

Racial and ethnic composition*

Children ages 0–17 by race and Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 53.6% (2010) 53.2% (2011)

Black, non-Hispanic 14.1% (2010) 14.0% (2011)

American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 0.9% (2010) 0.9% (2011) NS

Asian, non-Hispanic 4.4% (2010) 4.4% (2011) NS

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 0.2% (2010) 0.2% (2011) NS

Two or more races, non-Hispanic 3.7% (2010) 3.8% (2011)

Hispanic 23.2% (2010) 23.6% (2011)

Family and Social Environment

Family structure and children’s living arrangements

Children ages 0–17 living with two married parents 66% (2010) 65% (2011) NS

Births to unmarried women

Births to unmarried women ages 15–44 50 per 1,000

(2009)

48 per 1,000

(2010)

Births that are to unmarried women among all births 41.0% (2009) 40.8% (2010)

Child care

Children ages 0–4, with employed mothers, whose primary 

child care arrangement is with a relative 48% (2005) 48% (2010) NS

Children, ages 3–6, not yet in kindergarten, who were in center-based

care arrangements 57% (2005) 55% (2007) NS

Children of at least one foreign-born parent

Children ages 0–17 living with at least one foreign-born parent 23% (2010) 23% (2011) NS

Language spoken at home and difficulty speaking English

Children ages 5–17 who speak a language other than English at home 21% (2009) 22% (2010)

Children ages 5–17 who speak a language other than English at home and 

who have difficulty speaking English 5% (2009) 5% (2010) NS

Adolescent births

Births to females ages 15–17 20 per 1,000

(2009)

17 per 1,000

(2010)

Child maltreatment**

Substantiated reports of maltreatment of children ages 0–17 10.1 per 1,000

(2009)

10.0 per 1,000

(2010)

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

* Population estimates are not sample derived and are not subject to statistical testing. Change between years identifies differences in the proportionate size of 

these estimates as rounded. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 

** Population estimates are not sample derived and thus not subject to statistical testing. Change between years identifies a difference in the proportionate size of 

these estimates.

Legend NS = No statistically significant change  = Statistically significant increase  = Statistically significant decrease
19

America’s Children at a Glance continued

Previous 

Value (Year)

Most Recent 

Value (Year)

Change 

Between 

Years

Economic Circumstances

Child poverty and family income

Children ages 0–17 in poverty 21% (2009) 22% (2010)

Secure parental employment

Children ages 0–17 living with at least one parent employed year round, 

full time 72% (2009) 71% (2010)

Food insecurity

Children ages 0–17 in households classified by USDA as “food insecure” 23% (2009) 22% (2010)

Health Care

Health insurance coverage

Children ages 0–17 covered by health insurance at some time during the year 90% (2009) 90% (2010) NS

Usual source of health care

Children ages 0–17 with no usual source of health care 6% (2009) 5% (2010) NS

Immunization

Children ages 19–35 months with the 4:3:1:3:3:1 combined series 70% (2009) 75%* (2010)

Oral health

Children ages 5–17 with a dental visit in the past year 84% (2009) 85% (2010) NS

Physical Environment and Safety

Outdoor air quality

Children ages 0–17 living in counties with pollutant concentrations above 

the levels of the current air quality standards 59% (2009) 67% (2010)

Environmental tobacco smoke

Children ages 4–11 with any detectable blood cotinine level, a measure 

for recent exposure to secondhand smoke 53% (2007–08) 42% (2009–10)

Drinking water quality

Children served by community water systems that did not meet 

all applicable health-based drinking water standards 7% (2009) 7% (2010) NS

Lead in the blood of children

Children ages 1–5 with blood lead greater than or equal to 10 μg/dL 0.9%** (2003–2006) *** (2007–2010) NC

Children ages 1–5 with blood lead greater than or equal to 5 μg/dL 4% (2003–2006) 3% (2007–2010) NS

Housing problems

Households with children ages 0–17 reporting shelter cost 

burden, crowding, and/or physically inadequate housing 43% (2007) 45% (2009)

Youth victims of serious violent crimes

Serious violent crime victimization of youth ages 12–17 11 per 1,000

(2009)

7 per 1,000

(2010)

Child injury and mortality

Injury deaths of children ages 1–4 12 per 100,000 

(2008)

12 per 100,000 

(2009) NS

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

* Coverage with the full Hib vaccine series increased in 2010, suggesting that children received a booster as supplies became adequate starting in July 2009.

** Estimate is considered unstable (relative standard error is greater than 30 percent but less than 40 percent of the estimate).

*** Percentage not shown. Estimate is considered unreliable (relative standard error is greater than 40 percent of the estimate).

Legend NS = No statistically

significant change

NC = Not calculated  = Statistically significant

increase

For further information, visit http://childstats.gov.

 = Statistically significant

decrease
20

America’s Children at a Glance

America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Previous 

Value (Year)

Most Recent 

Value (Year)

Change 

Between 

Years

Physical Environment and Safety—continued

Child injury and mortality—continued

Injury deaths of children ages 5–14 6.1 per 100,000 

(2008)

5.7 per 100,000

(2009)

Adolescent injury and mortality

Injury deaths of adolescents ages 15–19 42 per 100,000

(2008)

39 per 100,000

 (2009)

Behavior

Regular cigarette smoking 

Students who reported smoking daily in the past 30 days

8th grade 3% (2010) 2% (2011) NS

10th grade 7% (2010) 6% (2011) NS

12th grade 11% (2010) 10% (2011) NS

Alcohol use

Students who reported having 5 or more alcoholic beverages 

in a row in the past 2 weeks

8th grade 7% (2010) 6% (2011) NS

10th grade 16% (2010) 15% (2011)

12th grade 23% (2010) 22% (2011) NS

Illicit drug use

Students who reported using illicit drugs in the past 30 days

8th grade 10% (2010) 9% (2011) NS

10th grade 19% (2010) 19% (2011) NS

12th grade 24% (2010) 25% (2011) NS

Sexual activity

High school students who reported ever having had sexual intercourse 48% (2007) 46% (2009) NS

Youth perpetrators of serious violent crimes

Youth offenders ages 12–17 involved in serious violent crimes 11 per 1,000

(2009)

9 per 1,000

(2010) NS

Education

Family reading to young children

Children ages 3–5 who were read to every day in the last week 

by a family member 60% (2005) 55% (2007)

Mathematics and reading achievement

Average mathematics scale score of

4th-graders (0–500 scale) 240 (2009) 241 (2011)

8th-graders (0–500 scale) 283 (2009) 284 (2011)

12th-graders (0–300 scale) 150 (2005) 153 (2009)

Average reading scale score of 

4th-graders (0–500 scale) 221 (2009) 221 (2011) NS

8th-graders (0–500 scale) 264 (2009) 265 (2011)

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

➞

Legend NS = No statistically significant change  = Statistically significant increase  = Statistically significant decrease
21

America’s Children at a Glance continued

Previous 

Value (Year)

Most Recent 

Value (Year)

Change 

Between 

Years

Education—continued

Mathematics and reading achievement—continued

Average reading scale score of 

12th-graders (0–500 scale) 286 (2005) 288 (2009)

High school academic coursetaking

High school graduates who completed selected mathematics and

science courses

Algebra II 70% (2005) 76% (2009)

Biology and chemistry 64% (2005) 68% (2009)

Analysis/precalculus 29% (2005) 35% (2009)

Biology, chemistry, and physics 27% (2005) 30% (2009)

High school completion

Young adults ages 18–24 who have completed high school 90% (2009) 90% (2010) NS

Youth neither enrolled in school* nor working

Youth ages 16–19 who are neither enrolled in school 

nor working 9% (2010) 8% (2011)

College enrollment

Recent high school completers enrolled in college the October immediately 

after completing high school 70% (2009) 68% (2010) NS

Health

Preterm birth and low birthweight

Infants less than 37 completed weeks of gestation at birth 12.2% (2009) 12.0% (2010)

Infants weighing less than 5 lb. 8 oz. at birth 8.2% (2009) 8.1% (2010) NS

Infant mortality

Deaths before first birthday 6.4 per 1,000

(2009)

6.1 per 1,000 

(2010)

Emotional and behavioral difficulties

Children ages 4–17 reported by a parent to have serious difficulties with 

emotions, concentration, behavior, or getting along with other people 5% (2009) 6% (2010) NS

Adolescent depression

Youth ages 12–17 with past year Major Depressive Episode 8% (2009) 8% (2010) NS

Activity limitation

Children ages 5–17 with activity limitation resulting from one or more 

chronic health conditions 9% (2009) 9% (2010) NS

Diet quality

Average diet scores for children ages 2–17, expressed as a percentage

of Federal diet quality standards 56% (2003–2004) 59% (2007–2008) NS

Obesity

Children ages 6–17 who are obese 19% (2007–2008) 18% (2009–2010) NS

Asthma

Children ages 0–17 who currently have asthma 9.6% (2009) 9.4% (2010) NS

➞

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➞

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For further information, visit http://childstats.gov.

Legend NS = No statistically significant change  = Statistically significant increase  = Statistically significant decrease

* School refers to high school and college.
America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and 

Family Statistics

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics was founded in 1994. Executive Order 

No. 13045 formally established the Forum in April 1997 to foster coordination and collaboration in 

the collection and reporting of Federal data on children and families. Agencies that are members of the 

Forum as of Spring 2012 are listed below.

Department of Agriculture

Economic Research Service

http://www.ers.usda.gov 

Department of Commerce

U.S. Census Bureau

http://www.census.gov

Department of Defense

Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary 

of Defense for Military Community and

Family Policy

http://prhome.defense.gov/RFM/MCFP/

Department of Education

National Center for Education Statistics

http://nces.ed.gov 

Department of Health and 

Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

http://www.acf.hhs.gov

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

http://www.ahrq.gov

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute 

of Child Health and Human Development

http://www.nichd.nih.gov

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov

National Center for Health Statistics

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs

National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov 

Office of Adolescent Health

http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning 

and Evaluation

http://aspe.hhs.gov 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration

http://www.samhsa.gov

Department of Housing and 

Urban Development

Office of Policy Development and Research

http://www.huduser.org

Department of Justice

Bureau of Justice Statistics

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov 

National Institute of Justice

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention

http://www.ojjdp.gov

Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov

Women’s Bureau

http://www.dol.gov/wb

Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Children’s Health Protection

http://www.epa.gov/children/

Office of Management and 

Budget

Statistical and Science Policy Office 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_

statpolicy

Recommended citation:

Federal Interagency Forum on 

Child and Family Statistics. 

America’s Children in Brief: Key 

National Indicators of Well-Being, 

2012. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Government Printing Office.

This report was printed by the 

U.S. Government Printing Office 

in cooperation with the National 

Center for Health Statistics, 

July 2012.

Single copies are available through 

the Health Resources and Services 

Administration Information 

Center while supplies last: 

P.O. Box 2910

Merrifield, VA 22116

Toll-Free Lines:

1-888-Ask-HRSA

TTY: 1-877-4TY-HRSA

Fax: 703-821-2098

E-mail: ask@hrsa.gov

This report is also available on 

the World Wide Web:

http://childstats.gov