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Data Highlights*
For more detailed findings on a variety of issues impacting the well-being
of South Carolina's children, including County-by-County findings,
please refer to our 2021 Data Reference Book.
* All references for the data on this page can be found in the 2021 Data Reference Book linked above.
South Carolina was ranked 41st in the nation on overall child well-being by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book. There are 1.1 million children under the age of 18 living in South Carolina, which is 22% of the total population. The most recent available data shows that in South Carolina:
55,713 children were born in 2020, and 784 (1%)
of the children were born to girls under age 18.
670 children died in 2021, including 23 suicide deaths.
Motor vehicle accidents are the 1st leading cause of death for ages 10-14 and homicide is the 1st leading cause of death for ages 15-17.
from non-fatal injuries
23,998 infants and 36,327
children on average participated monthly in WIC in 2020.
6,569 children/youth were served in foster care in 2021.
101,792 students aged 3 to 17 were identified as having a disabling condition in 2021.
14,809 children/youth were victims of maltreatment in 2021.
31,787 children received mental health services provided by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health in 2021.
678 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 23 COVID-19 deaths reported among children under age 18 from March 2020 to December 2021.
S.C. child death rate (Ages 0-17): 58.2 per 100,000 children
National child death rate:
46.8 per 100,000 children
S.C. child motor vehicle accident death rate (Ages 0-17):
5.3 per 100,000 children
National child motor vehicle accident death rate:
3.1 per 100,000 children
S.C. child homicide death rate (Ages 0-17):
4.5 per 100,000 children
National child homicide
death rate:
2.8 per 100,000 children
11,736 students enrolled in a South Carolina public school districts during the 2019-2020 school year were identified as homeless.
6,316 of those students were in 5th grade or below.
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