POP2 Children as a percentage of the population: Persons in selected age groups as a percentage of the total U.S. population and children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent population, 1950–2022 and projected 2023–2050

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Age 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 31.0 32.0 32.0 33.0 33.0 34.0 34.0 35.0 35.0 35.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 36.0 35.0 35.0 35.0
Ages 18–64 61.0 60.0 60.0 59.0 58.0 58.0 57.0 56.0 56.0 55.0 55.0 55.0 54.0 54.0 54.0 54.0 55.0 55.0 55.0 56.0
Age 65 and older 8.0 8.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 80.0 80.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 79.0 78.0 78.0
Age 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 34.0 34.0 33.0 33.0 32.0 31.0 30.0 30.0 29.0 29.0 28.0 27.5 27.1 26.8 26.5 26.3 26.2 26.0 25.9 25.7
Ages 18–64 56.0 56.0 57.0 57.0 58.0 58.0 59.0 59.0 60.0 60.0 60.7 61.0 61.3 61.5 61.7 61.7 61.7 61.7 61.8 61.9
Age 65 and older 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.3 11.4 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 78.0 77.0 77.0 76.0 76.0 75.0 74.0 73.0 73.0 72.0 71.2 70.7 70.1 69.6 69.1 68.8 68.4 68.0 67.7 67.4
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 78.0 77.0 77.0 76.0 76.0 75.0 74.0 73.0 73.0 72.0 71.2 70.7 70.1 69.6 69.1 68.8 68.4 68.0 67.7 67.4
Age 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 25.7 25.8 25.9 26.0 26.1 26.1 26.1 26.0 25.9 25.8 25.7 25.5 25.4 25.2 25.0 24.9 24.7 24.6 24.4 24.2
Ages 18–64 61.8 61.6 61.5 61.3 61.2 61.2 61.3 61.4 61.6 61.7 61.9 62.1 62.3 62.4 62.6 62.7 62.8 62.9 62.9 62.9
Age 65 and older 12.5 12.6 12.6 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.6 12.5 12.5 12.4 12.4 12.4 12.4 12.4 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.8 12.9
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 67.3 67.2 67.3 67.3 67.3 67.3 67.3 67.3 67.4 67.4 67.4 67.3 67.2 67.1 66.9 66.7 66.5 66.2 65.6 65.2
Age 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 24.0 23.7 23.5 23.3 23.1 23.0 22.8 22.6 22.5 22.3 22.1 21.9 21.7 21.9 21.8 21.7 21.6 21.5 21.4 21.4
Ages 18–64 63.0 63.0 62.8 62.6 62.4 62.2 62.0 61.7 61.5 61.3 61.3 61.1 60.9 60.0 59.7 59.4 59.1 58.8 58.5 58.3
Age 65 and older 13.1 13.3 13.7 14.1 14.5 14.9 15.2 15.6 16.0 16.5 16.5 16.9 17.3 18.1 18.5 18.9 19.3 19.7 20.0 20.3
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 64.7 64.1 63.1 62.2 61.5 60.7 60.0 59.2 58.4 57.5 57.2 56.4 55.6 54.7 54.1 53.4 52.7 52.2 51.7 51.2
Age 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 21.3 21.2 21.2 21.1 21.1 21.0 20.9 20.9 20.8 20.7 20.6 20.6 20.5 20.5 20.4 20.3 20.3 20.2 20.2 20.2
Ages 18–64 58.1 58.0 57.9 57.8 57.7 57.6 57.5 57.5 57.6 57.7 57.7 57.8 57.9 57.9 58.0 57.9 57.9 57.9 57.9 57.9
Age 65 and older 20.6 20.8 20.9 21.1 21.2 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.6 21.7 21.8 21.8 21.9 21.9
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 50.8 50.6 50.3 50.1 49.9 49.6 49.3 49.1 49.0 48.9 48.8 48.8 48.7 48.6 48.5 48.4 48.2 48.1 48.0 47.9
Age 2050
Percentage of total population
Ages 0–17 20.1
Ages 18–64 57.9
Age 65 and older 22.0
Children ages 0–17 as a percentage of the dependent populationa
Ages 0–17 47.7
a The dependent population includes all persons age 17 and under and all persons age 65 and over.
NOTE: Some estimates have been revised since previous publication in America's Children. Differences observed between 2019 and 2020 and between 2022 and 2023 may be due in part to the change in data sources and not necessarily reflective of trends in the data. For example, the data for 2010 to 2019 are based on the population estimates released for July 1, 2020 and have not yet been adjusted to account for the results of the 2020 Census. Because the data for 2020 take the results of the 2020 Census into account, this results in an "error of closure" between the data for 2019 and 2020 whereby differences are inherent to the two sources of data and not necessarily reflective of demographic trends.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Estimates of the population of the United States by single years of age, color, and sex: 1900 to 1959 (Series P-25, No. 311); Estimates of the population of the United States, by age, sex, and race: April 1, 1960, to July 1, 1973 (Series P-25, No. 519); Preliminary estimates of the population of the United States by age, sex, and race: 1970 to 1981 (Series P-25, No. 917); and Intercensal estimates for 1980–1989, 1990–1999, and 2000–2009. The data for 2010 to 2019 are based on the population estimates released for July 1, 2020. The data for 2020 to 2022 are based on the population estimates released for July 1, 2022. Data beyond 2022 are derived from the national population projections released in September 2018.

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