The national 2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, assesses and ranks the 50 states on 16 indicators of child well-being, which are categorized into four domains – economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. After three years of ranking in last place, New Mexico moved up to 49th in 2021. While this is good news – and while much of the data show improvements in child well-being – most of the data in this year’s report are from 2019 so they do not reflect the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession. A small amount of pandemic-era data is included in the data book (and is on a separate fact sheet), but these data had no bearing on the rankings in this report.
- Link to the 2021 KIDS COUNT Data Book (June 21, 2021; Annie E. Casey Foundation)
- Download this state profile (June 2021; 2 pages; pdf)
- Link to the pandemic indicator fact sheet (June 2021, 1 page; pdf)
- Download a fact sheet containing all KIDS COUNT Data Book data and rankings for New Mexico since the program began in 1990 (June 2021; 2 pages; pdf)