Age Group: Less than 5-year-old
Yearly Trends: 2006 to 2024
Executive Summary
This report offers a detailed examination of the shifting demographics within the United States’ infant and toddler population from 2006 to 2024. It highlights significant trends in the racial and ethnic composition of young citizens by birth, naturalisation, and non-citizenship status, with notable increases in the Asian and ‘Other/Mixed races’ categories.
These evolving patterns signal a transformation in the makeup of American youth, with implications for social services, education, and community planning. The analysis underscores the increasing diversity of the nation’s children under five and the changing landscape of citizenship.
The recent DC1031 data reveals that the population of infants and toddlers classified within the other/mixed racial category has seen a dramatic rise, increasing by 121% from 2006 to 2024
Summary of Findings
Population Trends: The infant and toddler population in the United States has experienced a significant decline of 12.3% over the examined period. This downward trend underscores a notable shift in the country’s demographic profile, with implications for future educational, healthcare, and social service planning.
Gender Distribution: The decline in population is observed across both genders, with male infants and toddlers experiencing a slightly higher decrease (-12.8%) compared to females (-11.8%). This balanced reduction across genders suggests that the observed demographic changes are broadly affecting the population without significant gender disparity.
Racial and Ethnic Composition: The racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. infant and toddler population has undergone remarkable changes. The report highlights a decrease in the population of white (-27%) and Black (-20%) children, alongside a steep decline in the American Indian segment (-55%). In contrast, there has been a notable increase in the Asian (+16%) and mixed/other races (+121%) groups, with a modest rise in the Hispanic population (+1%). These dynamics indicate a significant diversification of the infant and toddler population, reflecting broader national demographic shifts.
Citizenship Status: The period under review also saw changes in the citizenship composition of children under 5. The number of citizens by birth decreased by 14.3%, while naturalised citizens saw a more pronounced decline (-35.1%). Conversely, there was a slight increase (3.7%) in the population of non-citizen children. These trends may reflect broader changes in immigration patterns, policies, and the global movement of people during the 18-year span.
Changing Faces of Citizenship: DC1031 data reveal pronounced disparities in citizenship status among infants and toddlers across different racial and ethnic groups between the years 2006 and 2024. Notably, the proportion of White infants and toddlers who are citizens by birth has seen a significant decrease, while the Hispanic category shows an unusual rise. Naturalised citizenship numbers have contracted for Whites, yet expanded for Blacks and Hispanics. The ‘Other’ category presents the most dramatic change, with substantial increases in both naturalized citizens and non-citizens. These changes reflect a shifting landscape in the racial and ethnic composition of American youth, with potential long-term implications for social services, education, and community planning.
Table of Content
Infant/Toddler overall population trends
Infant/Toddler population gender trends
Infant/Toddler population race/ethnicity trends
Infant/Toddler demographic shifts by citizenship status
Infant/Toddler demographic shifts by citizenship status, race and ethnicity
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References:
Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rogers, and Megan Schouweiler. IPUMS USA: Minneapolis, MN: https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V14.0 (*Used for the historical demographics and weighting, especially the ACS)
FRED: Federal Reserve Economic Data: St. Louis, MO: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/ (Macro & economic trends)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS Data: Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/data/ (occupation/industry outlook)
Missouri Census Data Center. MCDC Data: Columbia, MO: University of Missouri. https://mcdc.missouri.edu/ (matching city, county, zip to US Census)
