KIDS COUNT Adds New Dataset on Youth and Young Adults
As part of an increased focus on teens and young adults, the KIDS COUNT® Data Center has added a suite of data on the health and well-being of youth ages 14 to 24. The dataset contains more than 60 indicators on topics ranging from employment, poverty and education to health, mental health, and family and community factors. Many of these indicators are available by race and ethnicity or family nativity, as well, highlighting enduring inequities for youth of color.
This important addition to the KIDS COUNT Data Center comes at a time when the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to undercut the last decade of economic and academic gains made by youth in America, even though the pre-pandemic progress was uneven across demographic groups and regions. It also comes at a time when youth mental health is reaching a crisis point. Prior to the pandemic, millions of young people already were struggling with mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness, and recent data indicate that the last two years have exacerbated these challenges for teens and young adults.
To help advocates, policymakers, service providers and others understand how youth experiences vary in different regions of the country, the KIDS COUNT data are provided by state and, when available, by territory, city and congressional district.
Spotlights From the Dataset
- Mental Health in the Pandemic: Adults ages 18–24 who felt down, depressed or hopeless for more than half of the days or nearly every day for the past week, 2021
- Pandemic Effects on Health Care: Adults ages 18–24 who delayed getting medical care because of the pandemic, 2021
- Trends for Disconnected Youth: Teens ages 16–24 not in school and not working, by race and ethnicity, 2010–2019
- Economic Opportunity in Early Adulthood: Persons 18–24 in poverty, 2000–2019
- College Snapshot 2019: Adults ages 18–24 who are enrolled in or have completed college
- Pandemic Financial Hardship: Adults ages 18–24 who had difficulty paying for household expenses in the past week, 2021
- Digital Divide Snapshot 2015–2019: Youth and young adults ages 14–24 with computer and high-speed internet access at home
- Voting Trends 2000–2020: Adults ages 18–24 who voted in presidential elections
Access all youth and young adult data on the KIDS COUNT Data Center, and learn more about the challenges facing youth, as well as opportunities to support them, in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Thrive by 25 announcement.
