We’re wrapping up 2017 with the launch of Hispanic Family Facts, a newsletter series that highlights key facts from our research. In this inaugural post, we take a closer look at the 11 million Hispanic children in need.
Hispanic children currently make up about one in four of all children in the United States, and are projected to make up one in three by 2050, similar to the number of white children. However, more Hispanic children live in families who struggle financially than do white children. In A National Portrait of Hispanic Children in Need, we found that 61% of all Hispanic children–11 million children–live in or near poverty.
- More than one in ten of all Hispanic children (12%) live in deep poverty. That is, 2.2 million Hispanic children live in households with incomes at or less than half of the federal poverty level.
- An additional 19% of Hispanic children (3.5 million) live in households with incomes below the poverty level, but above deep poverty.
- Almost one-third (30%) of all Hispanic children live near poverty. In other words, 5.4 million Hispanic children live in households with incomes above the poverty level, but less than twice the federal poverty level—a level where families still struggle to meet basic needs.
Though all Hispanic families with low incomes face real challenges in meeting their basic needs, what they look like varies—in terms of employment, family structure, and other characteristics. This means that efforts to support families may need to vary too. Check out the brief and infographic to learn more.