Overview

• In 2023, US children faced an up to 80 percent higher mortality risk than peers in 18 other wealthy nations, with firearm injuries and motor vehicle crashes among the leading causes.
• Nearly half of US children aged 3 to 17 had at least one chronic health condition in 2023, up from around 40 percent in 2011 according to pediatric health system data.
• Obesity prevalence among children aged 2 to 19 rose from 17 percent in 2007–2008 to about 21 percent in 2021–2023.
• Mental health burdens have deepened, with higher rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances, loneliness and related functional limitations.
• Researchers warn that piecemeal policy measures lack the holistic, ecosystem-level approach required to reverse these entrenched child health declines.