This report is the fifth to present nationwide data on the well-being of America's children. The statistical portrait is based on indicators of child well-being and on contextual measures describing the changing population and family context. Part 1 of the report, "Population and Family Characteristics," presents information illustrating trends in eight key demographic measures, including children as a proportion of the population, racial and ethnic composition, and difficulty speaking English. Part 2, "Indicators of Children's Well-Being," presents data on 24 key indicators in the following areas: (1) Economic Security, including child poverty, family income, parent employment, housing problems, and health care access; (2) Health, including activity limitation, immunization, low birthweight, mortality rates, and adolescent births; (3) behavior and social environment, including cigarette smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, and crime victimization; (4) education, including family reading, early childhood education, achievement, high school completion, and youth neither enrolled in school nor working; and (5) Special Features, asthma prevalence, and youth employment. For each background measure or indicator, three types of information are presented: reasons the measure or indicator is important to understanding children's well-being, figures illustrating trends or population group differences, and highlights with information on current status, recent trends, and important population group differences. Additional indicators needed are also noted. The report's two appendices present detailed data tables and data source descriptions. Among the key findings, the report notes that children are projected to remain a stable percentage of the total population, while the ethnic diversity of America's children continues to increase. The poverty rate for children living with family members reached a high of 22 percent in 1993 and has since decreased to its lowest rate since 1979. Unintentional injuries continue to be the leading cause of death for children and youth ages 1 to 19. In 1999, the adolescent birth rate was at a record low. Cigarette use among adolescents shows indications of decline, with rates of heavy drinking remaining largely unchanged from 1999. Long-term trend mathematics and reading assessment scores for 1999 showed improvements in mathematics since 1982 but not in reading. Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness in the United States, and the percentage of children diagnosed with asthma appears to be growing. Working while in school is prevalent among older high school students. (Contains 76 endnotes.) (KB)