Levels & Trends In Child Mortality
Child survival is a critical marker of a thriving society. In 2021, there were an estimated five million deaths of children under age five. Sadly, this devastating loss of life was mostly preventable with widespread and effective interventions like improved care around the time of birth, vaccination, nutritional supplementation and water and sanitation programs. Without urgent action to reduce under-five mortality, more than 50 countries will not meet the underfive mortality target by 2030 and more than 60 countries will miss the neonatal mortality target. A new report by representatives from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs indicates countries can take steps to further child mortality further, such as: Increase investment in primary health care; Scale up prevention and treatment of the leading causes of child mortality, such as newborn complications, pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, and noncommunicable diseases; Provide sufficient food; Ensure water, sanitation, and hygiene in health facilities; and Establish peace and security. The report can be obtained here.
Race, Ethnicity, And The Design Of State Grant Aid Programs
Most states use grant programs to lower the prices individual college students pay for their education. Unlike overall reductions in tuition prices for public institutions, these grant policies allow some students to pay less than others. The programs’ policy design and eligibility requirements vary by state and even across sectors. Some state grant aid, based on factors other than financial need, is distributed to students based on high school grades or test scores, intended courses of study, parental occupation, or other characteristics. According to a new report from the Urban Institute, this aid usually aims to reward achievement, to induce talented students to stay in state for college, to encourage students to prepare for occupations in high demand, or to acknowledge the challenges students in specific circumstances face. Need-based aid programs direct funds toward students for whom paying for college is difficult because of financial circumstances. These policies are rooted in both equity and efficiency goals. There is broad consensus that it is unfair to deny college access to potential students because of their inability to pay. Providing sufficient financial support to enable all admitted students to enroll in and succeed at an institution increases labor force productivity and reduces the need for publicly funded social supports. The report can be obtained here.
The Demographic Outlook: 2023 To 2053
The size of the U.S. population, as well as its age and sex composition, affects the economy and the federal budget. For example, the size of the population ages 25 to 54 affects the number of individuals employed. Likewise, the size of the population age 65 or older affects the number of beneficiaries of federal programs, such as Social Security and Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in a new report describes its population projections, which underlie the agency’s baseline budget projections and economic forecast that will be published later this year. According to CBO projections, the Social Security area population, the relevant population for calculating Social Security payroll taxes and benefits and the measure of population used in this report, increases from 336 million individuals in 2023 to 373 million in 2053. As growth of the population age 65 or older outpaces growth of younger age groups, the population is projected to continue to become older and larger (by 0.8% in 2052, the final year of the projections that CBO released last year) and to grow slightly faster, on average, in this year’s projections, for two main reasons. First, net immigration is projected to be higher and second, mortality rates for the group age 65 or older are projected to be lower over the first two decades of the projection period. The decline stems from fewer deaths in 2022 due to COVID-19 infections than CBO previously projected. The report can be obtained here.