Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States
United States: Share of children, working-age adults, and older people was 60.43 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
60.43 million people
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
6th
of 236 countries
All-time high
62.95 million people
in 2018
All-time low
42.09 million people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Share 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
United States recorded 60.43 million people for share of children, working-age adults, and older people in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States peaked at 62.95 million people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 42.09 million people, in 1950.
United States ranks 6th 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.
Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 42.09 million people | — |
| 1951 | 43.41 million people | +3.1% |
| 1952 | 44.75 million people | +3.1% |
| 1953 | 46.15 million people | +3.1% |
| 1954 | 47.63 million people | +3.2% |
| 1955 | 49.17 million people | +3.3% |
| 1956 | 50.71 million people | +3.1% |
| 1957 | 52.13 million people | +2.8% |
| 1958 | 53.46 million people | +2.5% |
| 1959 | 54.85 million people | +2.6% |
| 1960 | 56.36 million people | +2.8% |
| 1961 | 57.62 million people | +2.2% |
| 1962 | 58.43 million people | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 59.06 million people | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 59.65 million people | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 60.07 million people | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 60.25 million people | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 60.19 million people | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 59.93 million people | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 59.61 million people | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 59.33 million people | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 58.96 million people | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 58.25 million people | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 57.27 million people | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 56.21 million people | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 55.14 million people | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 54.07 million people | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 53.14 million people | -1.7% |
| 1978 | 52.40 million people | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 51.81 million people | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 51.49 million people | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 51.43 million people | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 51.56 million people | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 51.76 million people | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 51.91 million people | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 51.99 million people | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 52.08 million people | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 52.42 million people | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 53.03 million people | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 53.79 million people | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 54.66 million people | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 55.68 million people | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 56.65 million people | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 57.45 million people | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 58.05 million people | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 58.45 million people | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 58.73 million people | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 58.93 million people | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 59.13 million people | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 59.35 million people | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 59.57 million people | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 59.79 million people | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 59.96 million people | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 60.09 million people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 60.16 million people | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 60.16 million people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 60.22 million people | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 60.43 million people | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 60.72 million people | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 61.01 million people | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 61.28 million people | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 61.56 million people | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 61.86 million people | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 62.13 million people | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 62.38 million people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 62.59 million people | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 62.77 million people | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 62.92 million people | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 62.95 million people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 62.86 million people | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 62.43 million people | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 61.73 million people | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 61.07 million people | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 60.43 million people | -1.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 60.43 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 424,895 people, 142.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.44 million people | 42.09 million people | 54.85 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 59.12 million people | 56.36 million people | 60.25 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 55.66 million people | 51.81 million people | 59.33 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 52.15 million people | 51.43 million people | 53.79 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 57.71 million people | 54.66 million people | 59.35 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.21 million people | 59.57 million people | 61.01 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.33 million people | 61.28 million people | 62.95 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.42 million people | 60.43 million people | 62.43 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States?
- Share of children, working-age adults, and older people in United States was 60.43 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 62.95 million people in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.09 million people in 1950.
- How does United States rank for share of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- United States ranks 6th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children, working-age adults, and older people rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. 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 Share 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 0-14.