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Digest of Education Statistics
2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 219.76.Population 16 to 24 years old and number of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts (status dropouts), by labor force status and years of school completed: 1970 through 2022
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
YearTotal population 16 to 24 years old (in thousands)Number of 16- to 24-year-old dropouts (status dropouts) (in thousands)
Total status dropoutsBy labor force statusBy years of school completed
In labor forceNot in labor forceLess than 9 years9 years10 years11 or 12 years
Employed1Unemployed
12345678910
1970230,251(260.7)4,525(90.1)2,254(76.7)466(35.2)1,805(53.1)1,292(58.5)933(49.7)1,212(56.6)1,087(53.7)
1971231,538(265.1)4,641(91.4)2,299(77.4)505(36.6)1,837(53.6)1,295(58.5)1,006(51.6)1,288(58.4)1,051(52.8)
1972232,643(268.8)4,770(92.7)2,442(79.7)488(36.0)1,840(53.6)1,310(58.8)994(51.3)1,383(60.5)1,084(53.6)
1973233,430(271.4)4,716(92.4)2,511(80.9)436(34.0)1,769(52.6)1,248(57.5)985(51.1)1,292(58.5)1,191(56.1)
1974233,968(273.1)4,849(93.6)2,514(80.9)595(39.7)1,741(52.2)1,234(57.1)975(50.8)1,390(60.6)1,251(57.5)
 
1975234,700(275.4)4,824(93.6)2,220(76.1)751(44.6)1,853(53.8)1,134(54.8)1,018(51.9)1,329(59.3)1,344(59.6)
1976235,222(277.0)4,981(95.0)2,432(79.6)795(45.9)1,754(52.4)1,213(56.6)999(51.4)1,385(60.5)1,384(60.5)
1977235,658(278.3)5,031(95.5)2,660(83.2)682(42.5)1,689(51.4)1,224(56.9)1,093(53.8)1,374(60.3)1,340(59.5)
1978235,931(279.1)5,114(96.2)2,776(85.0)635(41.1)1,702(51.6)1,171(55.7)1,030(52.2)1,442(61.7)1,471(62.3)
1979236,131(279.7)5,265(97.4)2,843(86.0)668(42.1)1,753(52.3)1,191(56.1)1,107(54.1)1,505(63.1)1,461(62.1)
 
1980236,143(279.7)5,085(96.0)2,563(81.7)865(47.9)1,657(50.9)1,199(56.3)1,000(51.5)1,515(63.3)1,371(60.2)
1981236,945(282.1)5,143(96.6)2,559(81.6)943(50.0)1,641(50.7)1,250(57.5)956(50.3)1,554(64.1)1,382(60.5)
1982236,452(296.5)5,055(101.5)2,285(81.5)1,067(56.1)1,704(54.5)1,155(58.4)1,053(55.8)1,454(65.5)1,393(64.1)
1983235,884(294.7)4,905(100.1)2,375(83.1)890(51.3)1,640(53.5)1,130(57.8)947(52.9)1,414(64.6)1,414(64.6)
1984235,204(292.6)4,626(97.5)2,301(81.8)802(48.7)1,524(51.6)1,091(56.8)991(54.1)1,274(61.3)1,270(61.2)
 
1985234,382(289.9)4,324(94.6)2,165(79.4)756(47.3)1,403(49.5)1,032(55.2)910(51.9)1,205(59.7)1,178(59.0)
1986233,945(288.4)4,142(92.7)2,117(78.5)678(44.8)1,347(48.5)1,052(55.8)893(51.4)1,063(56.1)1,135(57.9)
1987233,452(286.8)4,230(93.5)2,218(80.4)574(41.2)1,439(50.1)1,094(56.9)874(50.8)1,099(57.0)1,163(58.6)
1988232,893(310.4)4,232(101.8)2,238(88.0)1,370(69.3)624(36.1)1,221(65.4)815(53.5)1,063(61.1)1,133(63.1)
1989232,007(291.9)4,038(94.6)2,150(82.0)557(42.1)1,331(50.0)1,186(61.3)838(51.6)1,003(56.4)1,011(56.6)
 
1990231,443(289.8)3,797(92.0)1,992(78.9)506(40.1)1,299(49.4)1,087(58.7)792(50.1)926(54.2)992(56.1)
1991231,171(288.8)3,881(92.8)1,844(76.0)612(44.1)1,424(51.7)1,108(59.3)795(50.3)1,012(56.7)965(55.3)
199230,944(287.9)3,410(87.7)1,623(71.3)511(40.3)1,277(48.9)736(48.3)598(43.6)833(51.4)1,243(62.8)
199330,845(287.5)3,396(87.5)1,653(72.0)435(37.2)1,308(49.5)697(47.0)564(42.3)819(51.0)1,316(64.6)
199432,560(293.9)3,727(91.5)1,845(76.0)485(39.3)1,397(51.2)892(53.2)604(43.8)755(49.0)1,474(68.3)
 
199532,379(293.2)3,876(86.5)1,894(77.0)549(41.8)1,433(51.8)861(52.3)659(45.8)872(52.6)1,484(68.5)
199632,452(304.7)3,611(87.1)1,709(76.0)541(43.1)1,360(52.4)735(50.1)639(46.8)814(52.8)1,423(69.7)
199732,960(306.6)3,624(87.3)1,933(80.7)478(40.5)1,214(49.5)721(49.7)567(44.1)809(52.6)1,527(72.2)
199833,445(308.3)3,942(90.7)2,174(85.6)405(37.3)1,363(52.5)829(53.3)589(44.9)843(53.7)1,681(75.7)
199934,169(310.9)3,829(89.7)2,129(84.7)382(36.2)1,318(51.6)851(54.0)623(46.2)861(54.3)1,494(71.4)
 
200034,568(312.4)3,776(89.2)2,149(85.1)463(39.8)1,163(48.5)814(52.8)578(44.5)873(54.7)1,511(71.8)
200135,167(298.5)3,766(84.6)2,195(81.6)559(41.5)1,011(42.9)694(46.3)634(44.2)897(52.6)1,540(68.8)
200235,495(299.6)3,721(84.2)2,136(80.5)496(39.1)1,088(44.4)849(51.1)636(44.3)791(49.4)1,445(66.6)
200336,017(301.3)3,552(82.6)1,899(75.9)486(38.7)1,167(46.0)752(48.2)646(44.6)734(47.6)1,420(66.1)
200436,504(302.8)3,766(84.8)1,996(77.8)539(40.8)1,231(47.3)804(49.8)599(43.0)846(51.1)1,516(68.2)
 
200536,761(303.6)3,458(81.7)1,968(77.3)410(35.6)1,080(44.4)652(44.8)582(42.4)740(47.8)1,483(67.5)
200637,047(304.5)3,462(81.8)1,951(77.0)404(35.3)1,107(44.9)764(48.5)464(37.9)716(47.0)1,518(68.3)
200737,480(305.9)3,278(79.8)1,819(74.3)367(33.7)1,092(44.6)695(46.3)555(41.4)750(48.1)1,278(62.7)
200837,569(306.2)3,010(76.8)1,410(65.5)491(38.9)1,109(45.0)552(41.3)459(37.6)716(47.0)1,283(62.8)
200937,616(306.3)3,030(77.0)1,308(63.1)603(43.1)1,119(45.2)537(40.7)413(35.7)738(47.7)1,342(64.2)
 
201037,949(#)2,816(100.8)1,290(69.8)527(38.4)999(62.1)542(49.7)368(31.2)634(44.8)1,272(74.3)
201138,205(133.8)2,714(99.1)1,351(71.1)436(39.2)927(55.3)492(52.8)350(34.0)576(41.3)1,295(65.8)
201238,800(306.3)2,562(101.1)1,148(69.5)464(44.6)950(56.2)468(50.5)262(33.7)561(42.4)1,271(74.4)
201338,804(210.7)2,622(109.3)1,079(71.8)441(43.7)1,103(65.9)480(50.0)348(39.5)552(47.1)1,242(76.8)
201438,650(67.1)2,527(94.9)1,129(62.8)430(39.3)968(54.6)378(43.6)347(36.8)538(45.7)1,264(59.5)
 
201538,491(66.4)2,254(99.1)940(58.3)320(37.5)994(66.5)327(42.4)314(32.4)481(43.1)1,132(65.2)
201638,367(57.6)2,334(102.8)1,087(67.3)324(33.9)924(58.6)412(52.1)252(27.6)511(41.3)1,160(71.6)
201738,079(96.2)2,198(101.5)1,027(65.2)183(24.7)988(62.6)461(53.9)215(26.4)446(45.1)1,077(70.1)
201837,962(138.6)2,164(102.0)1,097(67.0)184(28.4)884(61.5)369(48.8)224(29.2)446(42.8)1,125(69.3)
201937,734(85.6)1,970(87.3)992(68.5)170(30.4)808(55.3)371(51.2)236(33.6)441(42.5)922(57.6)
 
202037,468(158.2)1,980(109.5)1,038(77.5)123(22.8)819(58.1)419(66.0)199(28.9)408(46.6)954(59.9)
202137,222(485.2)1,914(113.7)947(70.8)182(28.7)786(62.6)339(51.5)189(25.8)398(46.4)988(73.6)
202238,024(69.7)1,890(117.6)942(79.2)160(26.3)788(64.2)305(44.1)125(23.8)370(42.8)1,089(82.4)
#Rounds to zero.
1Includes persons who were employed but not at work during the survey week.
2Because of changes in data collection procedures, data may not be comparable with figures for years after 1991.
NOTE: Status dropouts are 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school. People who have received equivalency credentials, such as the GED, are counted as high school completers. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Prior to 2010, standard errors were computed using generalized variance function methodology rather than the more precise replicate weight methodology used in later years. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1970 through 2022. (This table was prepared June 2023.)

2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest