Forum on Child and Family StatisticsPOP2 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, 1950–2020 and projected 2021–2050
| 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 |
| 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 | 22.1 | 22.0 | 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 | 61.0 | 60.6 | 60.3 | 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 | 16.9 | 17.3 | 17.7 | 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 | 56.7 | 56.2 | 55.4 | 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 2020 are based on the population estimates released for July 1, 2020. Data beyond 2020 are derived from the national population projections released in September 2018. Some estimates have been revised since previous publication in America's Children. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
