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Statistical Briefing Book

Youth Population Characteristics
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Description

Youth Population Characteristics

This section provides estimates of the youth population detailed by age, sex, race, and ethnicity. It describes important social indicators such as living arrangements, poverty, education, and teen-age birth rates. Much of the information comes from Census Bureau efforts, but also includes data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide the latest answers to commonly asked questions about the youth population. Here you will learn how many youth there are in the United States, what proportion of the youth population is below the poverty level, how high school completion rates vary by state, and the conditions and experiences that shape the lives of youth.

Youth Population

  • How many youth are there in the United States population? [Answer]
  • Within States, how does the youth population vary by race? [Answer]
  • How is the youth population expected to change? [Answer]

Living Arrangements

  • How has the proportion of children living in single-parent homes changed since 1970? [Answer]
  • How do the living arrangements of children vary by race? [Answer]
  • Does the proportion of children living in poverty vary by family structure? [Answer]

Teen Mothers

  • What is the teen birth rate and how has it changed in recent years? [Answer]
  • Have changes in teen birth rates differed by race? [Answer]
  • What proportion of teen mothers are unmarried and how has it changed in recent years? [Answer]
  • How do States vary in their birth rates for teen mothers ages 15-17? [Answer]

Poverty

  • How has the proportion of youth living in poverty changed since the 1970's? [Answer]
  • Does the proportion of youth in poverty vary by race and ethnicity? [Answer]
  • Does the proportion of youth living in poverty vary by State? [Answer]

Education

  • What is the high school completion rate and how has it changed since 1975? [Answer]
  • Does the high school completion rate vary by race? [Answer]
  • Does the public high school graduation rate vary by State? [Answer]
  • Does the high school dropout rate vary by sex and race? [Answer]
  • Does the high school dropout rate vary by family income? [Answer]
  • Does the high school dropout rate vary by State? [Answer]

With support from OJJDP, the National Center for Juvenile Justice has developed a family of data analysis and dissemination tools that gives users quick and easy access to detailed statistics on a variety of juvenile justice topics.

  • Easy Access to Juvenile Populations, provides access to National, State, and County level population data detailed by age, sex, race, and Hispanic ethnicity. Users can view population profiles for a single jurisdiction or create State Comparison or County Comparison tables.

 

Date Created: June 1, 2023