Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008

NCES 2008-084 September 2008

1.4. Age Distribution of the Population

In 2006, the median age for American Indians/ Alaska Natives, including those of Hispanic ethnicity, was 31 years, compared to 36 years for the general population. The median age of American Indians/Alaska Natives has increased by 5 years since 1990, from 26 to 31. Similarly, the median age of the general population has increased from 33 in 1990 to 36 in 2006.

An additional measure of the relative youth of the American Indian/Alaska Native population is the percentage of individuals under 18. In 2006, 29 percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives were children under the age of 18, compared to 25 percent of the total population.

The percentage of American Indians/Alaska Natives under the age of 18 has declined by almost 7 percentage points, from 36 percent in 1990 to 29 percent in 2006. The percentage of the total population under 18 also decreased from 1990 to 2006 (from 26 percent to 25 percent) but the overall decrease was smaller (1 percentage point).

View Table 1.4a

View Table 1.4b