Pew Hispanic Center
Latino children set an unfortunate record in 2010 when they comprised the largest percentage of U.S. children, 17 and under, who were living in poverty compared, according to a new report from the Pew Hispanic Center.
A total of 6.1 million Hispanic children lived in poverty last year – 37.3 percent of all children living in poverty in the United States. At the same time, Hispanics made up 16.3 percent of the total U.S. population and 23.1 percent of the nation’s children.
White children made up 30.5 percent of the children living in poverty though they represent 53.6 percent of U.S. children; black children were 26.6 percent of U.S. poor children, though only 14.6 percent of the nation’s children at black.
Of the 6.1 million Latino children living in poverty, 4.1 million were born to immigrant parents and 86.2 percent of those children were born in the U.S.
The new report also chronicles how the nation’s Hispanic population was affected by the recession. The unemployment rate among Latinos increased rapidly and is currently 11.1 percent, which is higher than the national average of 9.1 percent.
While the number of Hispanic children living in poverty is higher than any other race, the poverty rate among black children is higher than that of either Hispanics or whites, at 39.1 percent
The poverty rate has increased among all Americans since the beginning of the recession in 2007. In 2010 the national poverty rate was 15.1 percent in comparison to 12.5 percent in 2007. In 2007 the poverty rate among children was 18 percent and rose to 22 percent in 2010.
The survey used information from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau and poverty and unemployment rates from past years.
To read a free version of the report, click here.
