Juvenile Population Characteristics
Highlights from Chapter 1:
- The juvenile population is increasing similarly to other segments of the population. In fact, population projections indicate that the juvenile proportion of the U.S. population will hold constant through 2050. (p. 2)
- The racial character of the juvenile population is changing. The Hispanic portion of the juvenile population will increase. The growth in the U.S. juvenile population (ages 0 through 17) between 2000 and 2020 will be far greater for Hispanic (58%) and Asian (59%) juveniles than for Native American (16%), black (9%) or white (7%) juveniles. (p. 2)
- Although the proportion of juveniles living below the poverty level has declined substantially from its peak in 1993, it is still considerably larger than that of older Americans. (p. 7)
- Seven out of 10 juveniles in the U.S. live with married parents. (p. 10)