PRB

Why It Matters

When children and young people succeed, societies prosper. Yet too often, their realities are overlooked in the evidence that shapes decisions. Today’s generation faces complex pressures: rising mental health needs, gaps in access to quality education, persistent poverty and inequality, and uneven protections for safety, health, and well-being. Globally, young people are also navigating public health crises, climate change, and shrinking opportunities for decent work. These conditions threaten not only their own futures but the resilience of societies as a whole. That’s where PRB comes in.

How We Drive Change

With trusted data and clear insights, PRB sheds light on what children and youth need now and what it will take to secure their futures. Our work includes:

• Delivering trusted tools like KidsData to give policymakers and advocates accessible information on child health, education, and family well-being.
• Turning research into impact by translating complex findings into insights that shape investments in children and adolescents.
• Building capacity by equipping journalists, youth advocates, and organizations to use data to tell powerful stories and influence change.
• Elevating urgent issues through Population Bulletins such as Losing More Ground and Dying Young in the United States, which spotlight critical trends in youth well-being and equity.

Powering Policy With Data

KidsData

California’s most comprehensive platform on child health and well-being. With over 1,000 indicators compiled from dozens of trusted public sources, KidsData makes complex information clear and usable for policymakers, journalists, and community leaders. From child mental health services to tackling youth homelessness, it has informed decisions that directly improve children’s lives.

KIDS COUNT®

The nation’s leading effort to track child well-being across all 50 states. For more than 30 years, PRB has provided high-quality data analysis and technical support for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT project, a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children and provide legislators, advocates, and other decisionmakers with the data and tools needed to help advance policies that benefit children and their families. Resources like the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book and the KIDS COUNT Data Center are trusted tools used at the local, state, and national levels to push for stronger policies and investments in children.

Youth Health and Risk Behaviors

An international effort to monitor adolescent health. PRB has tracked risk factors like tobacco use, opioid dependence, HIV/AIDS, and noncommunicable diseases, and connects these trends to young people’s lived realities. The result: policies that reflect both the data and the day-to-day challenges shaping youth well-being.

Youth Leadership in Reproductive Health

A global initiative to put evidence in the hands of young advocates. PRB equips youth leaders with the tools to use data in policy conversations on reproductive health and rights. By combining statistics with personal stories, youth are leading the dialogue on their futures and pushing for stronger commitments from decisionmakers.

Center for Public Information on Population Research (CPIPR)

The national hub linking academic research with public policy. CPIPR translates cutting-edge population studies into accessible insights for legislators, funders, and local advocates. Its products have been cited in congressional briefings and used by federal agencies, ensuring research findings shape policy priorities for children, youth, and families.

Population Bulletins

PRB’s flagship publication series on demographic trends. Bulletins such as Losing More Ground and Dying Young in the United States spotlight urgent shifts in child and youth well-being, from rising mortality to shrinking opportunity. These analyses shape public debate and provide policymakers with evidence to act on the most pressing issues facing young people.

Investing in the Next Generation

At PRB, we believe that population data must serve the people it describes. From health and education to safety and opportunity, the outcomes of today’s young people determine the strength of tomorrow’s families, communities, and economies. By making evidence visible and actionable, we help ensure every child grows up with the opportunity to thrive.

Let us help you invest wisely in young people.

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