Abstract: Objective To analyze the national characteristics and change trend of tuberculosis in children under the age of 14, provide the basis for children’s TB control strategies.  Methods We obtained the TB infection rate and the prevalence rate from the 1979, 1990 and 2000 national epidemiological sampling survey of tuberculosis. We also used pulmonary TB incidence data from 2001 to 2010 to analyze the trend of childhood TB incidence.  Results In 1979, the tuberculosis infection rate in children under 14 years old is 8.8%, and tuberculosis prevalence rate was 247.1/100 000, smear positive prevalence rate was 7.5/100 000. In 2000, these rates are 9.0%, 91.8/100 000 and 6.7/100 000 respectively. The national average children reported incidence of tuberculosis decreased from 9.3/100 000 （26 563/284 520 000）in 2001 to 4.0/100 000（9751/246 550 000） in 2010. In different age groups of children, in 2001, the 0－4 year old group was highest of 11.6/100 000（7995/68 970 000）. In 2010 the 10－14 year age group was highest to 7.3/100 000（5932/81 630 000）. The percentage of reported incidence cases of childhood pulmonary tuberculosis in tuberculosis cases among total population declined by year from 4.7%（26 563/570 527） in 2001 to 1.0%（9751/991 350） in 2010. Conclusion There has no decline in the children Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection rate nationwide; the prevalence of active tuberculosis and smear positive cases decreased rapidly; the reported incidence of childhood tuberculosis showed the decreasing trend.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary/epidemiology, Prevalence, Child