POPULATION OF CHILDREN

In 2005, there were an estimated 73.4 million children under 18 years of age in the United States, representing approximately 25 percent of the population. Young adults aged 20 to 24 years composed just over 7 percent of the population, while adults aged 25 to 64 years composed nearly 53 percent of the population and adults aged 65 years and older composed more than 12 percent. Since the 2000 Census, the number of children under 5 years of age has risen 5.8 percent, and the number of children aged 5 to 19 years has risen just over 2 percent. The number of adults aged 65 years and older has risen over 5 percent in the same period.

The population of children reflects the increase in the diversity of the population over the past several decades. Hispanic children represented 9 percent of all children in 1980, compared to over 19 percent in 2005; Asian/Pacific Islander children represented 2 percent of all children in 1980 and over 4 percent in 2005. While the percentage of children who are Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander has more than doubled since 1980, the percentage who are non-Hispanic White has declined. The percentage of children who are Black has remained relatively stable.

> Pie Chart: U.S. Resident Population, by Age Group: 2005

> Pie Chart: Population of Children Under Age 18, by Race/Ethnicity: 2005