Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States
United States: Number of children, working-age adults, and older people was 59.81 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
59.81 million people
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
3rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
59.81 million people
in 2023
All-time low
12.29 million people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States is 59.81 million people, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and up 36.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States peaked at 59.81 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.29 million people, in 1950.
United States ranks 3rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.29 million people | — |
| 1951 | 12.62 million people | +2.7% |
| 1952 | 12.95 million people | +2.6% |
| 1953 | 13.28 million people | +2.6% |
| 1954 | 13.62 million people | +2.6% |
| 1955 | 13.98 million people | +2.6% |
| 1956 | 14.32 million people | +2.4% |
| 1957 | 14.66 million people | +2.4% |
| 1958 | 15.02 million people | +2.4% |
| 1959 | 15.44 million people | +2.8% |
| 1960 | 15.92 million people | +3.1% |
| 1961 | 16.39 million people | +2.9% |
| 1962 | 16.82 million people | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 17.22 million people | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 17.62 million people | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 18.11 million people | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 18.57 million people | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 18.96 million people | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 19.34 million people | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 19.73 million people | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 20.19 million people | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 20.63 million people | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 21.06 million people | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 21.50 million people | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 21.97 million people | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 22.49 million people | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 23.04 million people | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 23.61 million people | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 24.20 million people | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 24.82 million people | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 25.44 million people | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 26.00 million people | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 26.56 million people | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 27.13 million people | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 27.72 million people | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 28.30 million people | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 28.88 million people | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 29.48 million people | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 30.04 million people | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 30.59 million people | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 31.14 million people | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 31.64 million people | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 32.12 million people | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 32.54 million people | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 32.90 million people | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 33.23 million people | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 33.51 million people | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 33.74 million people | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 33.92 million people | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 34.08 million people | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 34.26 million people | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 34.47 million people | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 34.73 million people | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 35.04 million people | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 35.41 million people | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 35.83 million people | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 36.35 million people | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 37.11 million people | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 38.03 million people | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 38.98 million people | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 39.90 million people | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 40.98 million people | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 42.36 million people | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 43.80 million people | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 45.20 million people | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 46.61 million people | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 48.05 million people | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 49.57 million people | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 51.18 million people | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 52.88 million people | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 54.49 million people | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 55.98 million people | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 57.72 million people | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 59.81 million people | +3.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 59.81 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 285,676 people, 209.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.82 million people | 12.29 million people | 15.44 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.87 million people | 15.92 million people | 19.73 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.35 million people | 20.19 million people | 24.82 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.02 million people | 25.44 million people | 30.59 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 32.88 million people | 31.14 million people | 34.08 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.02 million people | 34.26 million people | 38.98 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.05 million people | 39.90 million people | 52.88 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.00 million people | 54.49 million people | 59.81 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.8 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 375,392 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States?
- Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States was 59.81 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 59.81 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.29 million people in 1950.
- How does United States rank for number of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of children, working-age adults, and older people rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children, working-age adults, and older people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 65+.