kidsdata advisory

California’s Child Population: 9.1 Million, and Growing More Diverse Every Year

The demographics of California's 9.1 million children continue to evolve. Newly available population estimates show that Latino/Hispanic children have comprised an increasingly greater proportion of all children in California each year since 1995, while the proportions of white and African-American/black children have declined.

Latino children make up the largest racial/ethnic group among the state's child population; 52% of California children are Latino (up from 41% in 1995), and 27% are white (down from 40% in 1995). About 11% of California children are Asian American, 5% are African American/Black, almost 5% are multiracial, and less than 1% are American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.

California's estimated child population is down from a decade ago, from 9.5 to 9.1 million children.

A 2013 study commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health found that a decline in California's child population, coupled with a tidal wave of Baby Boom retirees, poses significant challenges for the state's future prosperity. In 1970, children made up 33 percent of California's population, and currently they comprise about a quarter of the state's population (24%). However, by 2030, they’re expected to comprise just 20 percent, according to the report.

The growing imbalance between children and retirees means that the economic burden on a child born in 2015 will have nearly doubled over that of a child born in 1985, the study suggests.

See Child Population Data in Your Community

• Child Population
  • by Age and Gender
  • by Race/Ethnicity
  • by City, School District and County (65,000 Residents or More)
  • by City, School District and County (20,000 Residents or More)
  • by City, School District and County (10,000 Residents or More)
  • by Legislative District

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California's Child Population, by Race/Ethnicity (1995-2014)