The U.S. Virgin Islands has made progress in several key measures affecting children and families over the past five years, but significant challenges remain in education, economic opportunity, and housing, according to new KIDS COUNT data released Tuesday.
The findings come as the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a national report examining child well-being across the United States. While the territory is not included in the report’s state rankings because the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey is not conducted in the Virgin Islands, local data compiled by St. Croix Foundation’s KIDS COUNT USVI initiative paints a picture of both progress and persistent concerns.
Among the report’s bright spots, the territory’s unemployment rate declined from 6% in 2019 to 4% in 2024. Public school graduation rates also rose sharply, increasing from 70.9% to 81% during the same period.
Student performance in English Language Arts showed improvement as well, with the percentage of students reaching proficiency climbing to its highest level since the 2020-21 school year.
Those gains, however, were accompanied by troubling trends.
Math proficiency declined compared to 2020-21 levels, and 546 students dropped out of the public school system between the 2020-21 and 2023-24 school years. Annual dropout rates during that period ranged from 2.2% to 4%, according to KIDS COUNT USVI data.
Economic indicators also revealed ongoing disparities. While unemployment fell, average hourly wages in the territory remained 24% below the national U.S. average.
Health data showed continued population declines reflected in lower fertility rates and fewer live births in 2023. The Virgin Islands Department of Health also reported that 5.3% of babies born that year had a low birth weight.
In the area of family and community well-being, the report found that the number of households with children living in public housing increased despite an overall decline in the territory’s child population — a trend that suggests a growing share of children are living in economically disadvantaged housing situations.
The report’s release also renewed attention to longstanding concerns about data collection in the territory.
In a statement accompanying the release, St. Croix Foundation noted that the Virgin Islands continues to be excluded from some major national data sets and faces challenges related to delayed reporting, outdated tracking systems, and limited coordination among agencies responsible for collecting and sharing information.
“Behind every number in this report is a child who is either hungry or fed, housed or homeless, progressing academically or falling behind. No state is consistently getting this right,” Annie E. Casey Foundation President and CEO Lisa M. Lawson said in a statement. “The Data Book challenges us to follow the evidence and do what delivers results.”
This year marks the first time the national KIDS COUNT Data Book includes a comprehensive score for each state rather than relying solely on rankings. The new scoring system evaluates 16 indicators across four categories — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — over a five-year period from 2019 through 2024.
To supplement the national report, St. Croix Foundation annually publishes territory-specific KIDS COUNT USVI reports. In 2024, the organization launched the territory’s first interactive KIDS COUNT USVI Data Dashboard, providing public access to local child well-being indicators.
The 2026 national KIDS COUNT Data Book is available through the Annie E. Casey Foundation, while Virgin Islands-specific reports and data can be accessed through St. Croix Foundation’s KIDS COUNT USVI program.
