Children are expected to remain a stable percentage of the total population as they are projected to comprise 24 percent of the population in 2020. The racial and ethnic diversity of America's children continues to increase. The number of Hispanic children has increased faster than that of any other racial or ethnic group, growing from 9 percent of the child population in 1980 to 16 percent in 1999. The family structures of children have become more varied. The percentage of children living with one parent increased from 20 percent in 1980 to 27 percent in 1999.
Most children living with single parents live with a single mother.
However, the proportion of children living with single fathers doubled over this time period, from 2 percent in 1980 to 4 percent in 1999. The poverty rate for related children dropped from 19 percent in 1997 to 18 percent in 1998. The percentage of children living with their parents where at least one parent was working full time all year increased slightly in 1998 to 77 percent, from 76 percent in 1997. Many children live in households that have housing problems, such as physically inadequate housing, crowded housing, or a high cost burden. The percentage of children experiencing food insecurity decreased in 1999.