America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008
Economic Circumstances Figures
Figure ECON1.A: Percentage of related children ages 0–17 living in poverty by family structure, 1980–2006
NOTE: Estimates for related children ages 0–17 include children related to the householder (or reference person of an unrelated subfamily) who are not themselves a householder or spouse of the householder (or family reference person). In 2006, the average poverty threshold for a family of four was $20,614.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1981 to 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Figure ECON1.B: Percentage of related children ages 0–17 by family income relative to the poverty line, 1980–2006
NOTE: Estimates refer to children ages 0–17 who are related to the householder. The income classes are derived from the ratio of the family's income to the family's poverty threshold. A child living in extreme poverty is defined as a child living in a family with income less than 50 percent of the poverty threshold. Below poverty, but above extreme poverty is defined as 50–99 percent of the poverty threshold. Low income is defined as 100–199 percent of the poverty threshold. Medium income is defined as 200–399 percent of the poverty threshold. High income is defined as being at or above 400 percent of the poverty threshold. For example, a family of four with two children would be in extreme poverty if their income was less than $10,222 (50 percent of $20,444). The same family would be classified as low income if their income was at least $20,444 and less than $40,888.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1981 to 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Figure ECON2: Percentage of children ages 0–17 living with at least one parent employed year round, full time by family structure, 1980–2006
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Figure ECON3.A: Percentage of children ages 0–17 in food-insecure households by annual household income, selected years 1995–2006
NOTE: Statistics for 1996–1998 and 2000 are omitted because they are not directly comparable with those for other years.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement; tabulated by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service and Food and Nutrition Service.
Figure ECON3.B: Percentage of children ages 2–18 by age and diet quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index, 1994–1996, 1999–2000, and 2001–2002
NOTE: The maximum combined score for the 10 components is 100. An HEI score above 80 implies a good diet, an HEI score between 51 and 80 implies a diet that needs improvement, and an HEI score less than 51 implies a poor diet. Data for the three time periods are not necessarily comparable because of methodological differences in data collection.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1994–1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999–2000 and 2001–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.