PRB

After years of COVID-related challenges, more high schoolers are now graduating on time. And more children have health insurance and live with parents who are securely employed than before the pandemic.

These are among the promising findings in the 36th edition of the KIDS COUNT® Data Book, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Drawing on the latest federal data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the annual report provides a comprehensive picture of how children are faring across the country and highlights where further action is needed.

The Data Book evaluates child well-being across 16 indicators in four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. Drawing on the most recent available data (usually from 2023) and comparing to 2019, the report shows some clear gains around economic well-being and family and community, including:

• Declines in child poverty and teen birth rates
• Fewer children living in high-poverty areas
• Increases in children with health insurance coverage and who live with securely employed parents
• More children living in households led by adults with at least a high school diploma
• Higher rates of on-time high school graduation

Despite this progress, children and youth are falling behind in education, with preschool enrollment, 4th grade reading proficiency, and 8th grade math proficiency all backsliding. These results underscore the lasting impact of disrupted learning during the pandemic.

More young people are also dying, as child and teen mortality remains stubbornly high. After increasing sharply from 2019 to 2021—where it hit the highest rate since 2008—the child and teen death rate held steady in 2022 then fell slightly in 2023, to 29 deaths per 100,000 people ages 1 to 19. This overall increase reflects a rise in firearm-related deaths and drug overdoses among children and adolescents.

In addition to this national overview, this new Data Book also illustrates state-level disparities that continue to affect outcomes for children. Recent child poverty rates range from 8% in New Hampshire to 25% in Louisiana and New Mexico. And while reading proficiency is down in most states, it has trended up in Louisiana and held steady in Mississippi— and both states share a nine-way tie for sixth best score in the nation.

The new Data Book findings also call attention to ongoing racial and ethnic disparities, reflecting significant barriers to opportunity and well-being for children of color. Compared to the national average…

• American Indian or Alaska Native kids fare worse across 15 of the 16 indicators (on all except low birth-weight babies).
• Asian and Pacific Islander children tend to fare better. However, combining Asian and Pacific Islander children together masks significant disparities across a diverse child population, with some subpopulations faring significantly better than others. For example, Asian Indian, Filipino, and Taiwanese children are much less likely to be living in poverty, while Burmese, Bangladeshi, and Samoan children have some of the highest poverty rates among Asian and Pacific Islander children.
• Black children tend to fare the worst. The death rate for Black children and teens (53 deaths per 100,000) is nearly twice the national average (29 deaths per 100,000). However, Black children are more likely to be enrolled in preschool than the national average and they are just as likely to have health insurance.
• Latino children also tend to fare poorly compared to the national average. However, rates of low birth-weight babies and child and teen deaths are lower among Latino children than the national average.
• Multiracial children fare equally or slightly worse on many indicators.
• Non-Hispanic white children fare better across all 16 indicators, highlighting vast and persistent disparities.

Produced annually, the Data Book is a vital tool for policymakers, advocates, and community leaders. It helps identify where progress is happening, where more improvement is needed, and what steps can be taken to support children and young people more effectively. PRB staff have played an essential role in the production of the Data Book since its inception in 1990, offering expertise on index design, data collection, and analysis.

For a deeper dive into the findings, access the full report at aecf.org/databook. Users can also explore interactive tools, maps, and additional indicators through the KIDS COUNT Data Center.