The number of births in the United States declined again in 2020, with fertility rates dropping or staying flat across all age and racial groups. Falling from 3.75 million births in 2019 to 3.61 million births in 2020, the 4% drop marks the sixth consecutive year the U.S. birth rate has decreased, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. In addition, the total fertility rate has been below replacement level of about 2.1 children per woman — the level at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without accounting for migration — since 1971.
Even so, the nation’s population continues to grow, climbing to about 330 million as of the middle of last year, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. population has been rising generally because of immigration and longer life expectancy.
The inexorable cycle of births and deaths is often very different from one generation to the next, and tends to change as people age. Some might wonder, how many people in a given age group are still around?
24/7 Tempo has determined how many people born each year since 1937 are alive today. We used data collected from government agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis to create the list.
Largely due to developments in medical technology such as treatments for cancer and heart disease, life expectancy rose significantly over the decades since 1930. The average person born in 1930 had an average life expectancy of 59.7 years; by 2012, the average life expectancy at birth had increased to 78.8 years. (Click here to see the most famous person the same age as you.)
More recently, however, due to sharp increases in opioid overdose deaths as well as to some extent high levels of COVID-19 deaths last year, life expectancy has declined in recent years. In the first half of 2020, life expectancy at birth for the U.S. population was 77.8 years, down from 78.8 years in 2019. (Here is the city with the longest life expectancy in every state.)
Click here to see how many people from the year you were born are still alive
To identify how many people are still alive from the year you were born, 24/7 Tempo reviewed native-born population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. These estimates adjust for both naturalized citizens as well as native-born Americans living outside the United States. The share of people born each year since 1937 alive in 2021 was calculated by comparing these U.S. Census Bureau population projections to the number of births each year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vital Statistics of the United States report series. Total U.S. population figures in each year are from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Source: State Library of New South Wales / Flickr
> 84-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1937 still alive today: 38.8%
> Births in 1937: 2,413,000
> U.S. population, 1937: 128,824,829
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 83-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1938 still alive today: 42.4%
> Births in 1938: 2,496,000
> U.S. population, 1938: 129,824,939
Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 82-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1939 still alive today: 46.4%
> Births in 1939: 2,466,000
> U.S. population, 1939: 130,879,718
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 81-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1940 still alive today: 48.9%
> Births in 1940: 2,559,000
> U.S. population, 1940: 132,122,446
24/7 Wall St.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (NLFDR) / Wikimedia Commons
> 80-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1941 still alive today: 50.4%
> Births in 1941: 2,703,000
> U.S. population, 1941: 133,402,471
Source: Australian War Memorial collection / Wikimedia Commons
> 79-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1942 still alive today: 51.2%
> Births in 1942: 2,989,000
> U.S. population, 1942: 134,859,553
Source: pingnews.com / Flickr
> 78-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1943 still alive today: 58.1%
> Births in 1943: 3,104,000
> U.S. population, 1943: 136,739,353
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Source: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation / Wikimedia Commons
> 77-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1944 still alive today: 60.7%
> Births in 1944: 2,939,000
> U.S. population, 1944: 138,397,345
Source: National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 76-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1945 still alive today: 64.9%
> Births in 1945: 2,858,000
> U.S. population, 1945: 139,928,165
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 75-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1946 still alive today: 55.8%
> Births in 1946: 3,411,000
> U.S. population, 1946: 141,388,566
Source: National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 74-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1947 still alive today: 69.4%
> Births in 1947: 3,817,000
> U.S. population, 1947: 144,126,071
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 73-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1948 still alive today: 70.2%
> Births in 1948: 3,637,000
> U.S. population, 1948: 146,631,302
Source: The U.S. National Archives / Flickr
> 72-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1949 still alive today: 71.2%
> Births in 1949: 3,649,000
> U.S. population, 1949: 149,188,130
Source: National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 71-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1950 still alive today: 74.0%
> Births in 1950: 3,632,000
> U.S. population, 1950: 152,271,417
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
> 70-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1951 still alive today: 72.8%
> Births in 1951: 3,820,000
> U.S. population, 1951: 154,877,889
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 69-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1952 still alive today: 73.9%
> Births in 1952: 3,909,000
> U.S. population, 1952: 157,552,740
Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 68-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1953 still alive today: 76.2%
> Births in 1953: 3,959,000
> U.S. population, 1953: 160,184,192
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Source: Seattle Municipal Archives / Wikimedia Commons
> 67-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1954 still alive today: 77.3%
> Births in 1954: 4,071,000
> U.S. population, 1954: 163,025,854
Source: Seattle Municipal Archives / Wikimedia Commons
> 66-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1955 still alive today: 80.2%
> Births in 1955: 4,097,000
> U.S. population, 1955: 165,931,202
Source: ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons
> 65-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1956 still alive today: 78.9%
> Births in 1956: 4,210,000
> U.S. population, 1956: 168,903,031
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
> 64-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1957 still alive today: 80.5%
> Births in 1957: 4,300,000
> U.S. population, 1957: 171,984,130
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Source: National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 63-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1958 still alive today: 82.5%
> Births in 1958: 4,246,000
> U.S. population, 1958: 174,881,904
Source: The Sporting News Archives / Wikimedia Commons
> 62-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1959 still alive today: 82.9%
> Births in 1959: 4,244,796
> U.S. population, 1959: 177,829,628
Source: Alden Jewell / Wikimedia Commons
> 61-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1960 still alive today: 85.3%
> Births in 1960: 4,257,850
> U.S. population, 1960: 180,671,158
Source: The U.S. National Archives / Wikimedia Commons
> 60-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1961 still alive today: 84.7%
> Births in 1961: 4,268,326
> U.S. population, 1961: 183,691,481
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 59-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1962 still alive today: 85.3%
> Births in 1962: 4,167,362
> U.S. population, 1962: 186,537,737
Source: Executive Office of the President of the United States / Wikimedia Commons
> 58-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1963 still alive today: 86.4%
> Births in 1963: 4,098,020
> U.S. population, 1963: 189,241,798
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Source: Harry Pot, / Wikimedia Commons
> 57-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1964 still alive today: 87.8%
> Births in 1964: 4,027,490
> U.S. population, 1964: 191,888,791
Source: Seattle Municipal Archives / Wikimedia Commons
> 56-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1965 still alive today: 91.9%
> Births in 1965: 3,760,358
> U.S. population, 1965: 194,302,963
Source: Nationaal Archief / Wikimedia Commons
> 55-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1966 still alive today: 89.8%
> Births in 1966: 3,606,274
> U.S. population, 1966: 196,560,338
Source: JOHN LLOYD / Flickr
> 54-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1967 still alive today: 90.2%
> Births in 1967: 3,520,959
> U.S. population, 1967: 198,712,056
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Source: Ollie Atkins, White House photographer / Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 53-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1968 still alive today: 89.8%
> Births in 1968: 3,501,564
> U.S. population, 1968: 200,706,052
Source: NASA / Wikimedia Commons
> 52-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1969 still alive today: 89.2%
> Births in 1969: 3,600,206
> U.S. population, 1969: 202,676,946
Source: CBS Television / Wikimedia Commons
> 51-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1970 still alive today: 90.8%
> Births in 1970: 3,731,386
> U.S. population, 1970: 205,052,174
Source: Leena A. Krohn / Wikimedia Commons
> 50-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1971 still alive today: 94.1%
> Births in 1971: 3,555,970
> U.S. population, 1971: 207,660,677
Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 49-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1972 still alive today: 96.1%
> Births in 1972: 3,258,411
> U.S. population, 1972: 209,896,021
Source: sterferg / Wikimedia Commons
> 48-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1973 still alive today: 94.8%
> Births in 1973: 3,136,965
> U.S. population, 1973: 211,908,788
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Source: ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons
> 47-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1974 still alive today: 92.6%
> Births in 1974: 3,159,958
> U.S. population, 1974: 213,853,928
Source: O'Halloran, Thomas J. / Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 46-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1975 still alive today: 96.4%
> Births in 1975: 3,144,198
> U.S. population, 1975: 215,973,199
Source: White House Photograph Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library / Wikimedia Commons
> 45-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1976 still alive today: 93.0%
> Births in 1976: 3,167,788
> U.S. population, 1976: 218,035,164
Source: Derzsi Elekes Andor / Wikimedia Commons
> 44-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1977 still alive today: 92.1%
> Births in 1977: 3,326,632
> U.S. population, 1977: 220,239,425
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Source: Steve Morgan / Wikimedia Commons
> 43-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1978 still alive today: 93.5%
> Births in 1978: 3,333,279
> U.S. population, 1978: 222,584,545
Source: Thomas J. O'Halloran, U.S. News & World Report / Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 42-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1979 still alive today: 91.6%
> Births in 1979: 3,494,398
> U.S. population, 1979: 225,055,487
Source: Bogaerts, Rob / Anefo / Wikimedia Commons
> 41-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1980 still alive today: 95.0%
> Births in 1980: 3,612,258
> U.S. population, 1980: 227,224,681
Source: White House Photographic Office / The National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
> 40-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1981 still alive today: 93.5%
> Births in 1981: 3,629,238
> U.S. population, 1981: 229,465,714
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 39-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1982 still alive today: 93.7%
> Births in 1982: 3,680,537
> U.S. population, 1982: 231,664,458
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 38-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1983 still alive today: 95.7%
> Births in 1983: 3,638,933
> U.S. population, 1983: 233,791,994
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Source: Marcin Wichary / Wikimedia Commons
> 37-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1984 still alive today: 94.2%
> Births in 1984: 3,669,141
> U.S. population, 1984: 235,824,902
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 36-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1985 still alive today: 95.9%
> Births in 1985: 3,760,561
> U.S. population, 1985: 237,923,795
Source: A1C Nancy Smelser / Wikimedia Commons
> 35-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1986 still alive today: 96.2%
> Births in 1986: 3,756,547
> U.S. population, 1986: 240,132,887
Source: Virginia Tehan / Wikimedia Commons
> 34-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1987 still alive today: 95.4%
> Births in 1987: 3,809,394
> U.S. population, 1987: 242,288,918
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Source: National Park Service / Wikimedia Commons
> 33-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1988 still alive today: 95.5%
> Births in 1988: 3,909,510
> U.S. population, 1988: 244,498,982
Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
> 32-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1989 still alive today: 95.5%
> Births in 1989: 4,040,958
> U.S. population, 1989: 246,819,230
Source: Andrew Thomas / Wikimedia Commons
> 31-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1990 still alive today: 97.6%
> Births in 1990: 4,158,212
> U.S. population, 1990: 249,464,396
Source: U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons
> 30-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1991 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 1991: 4,110,907
> U.S. population, 1991: 252,153,092
Source: Gary B. Edstrom / Wikimedia Commons
> 29-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1992 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 1992: 4,065,014
> U.S. population, 1992: 255,029,699
Source: Official White House photograph / Wikimedia Commons
> 28-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1993 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 1993: 4,000,240
> U.S. population, 1993: 257,782,608
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Source: Andrea Booher / FEMA / Wikimedia Commons
> 27-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1994 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 1994: 3,952,767
> U.S. population, 1994: 260,327,021
Source: NASA / Wikimedia Commons
> 26-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1995 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 1995: 3,899,589
> U.S. population, 1995: 262,803,276
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
> 25-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1996 still alive today: 99.2%
> Births in 1996: 3,891,494
> U.S. population, 1996: 265,228,572
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
> 24-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1997 still alive today: 99.3%
> Births in 1997: 3,880,894
> U.S. population, 1997: 267,783,607
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Source: Flickr user Kevin Jarrett / Wikimedia Commons
> 23-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1998 still alive today: 98.1%
> Births in 1998: 3,941,553
> U.S. population, 1998: 270,248,003
Source: Grj23 / Wikimedia Commons
> 22-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 1999 still alive today: 98.1%
> Births in 1999: 3,959,417
> U.S. population, 1999: 272,690,813
Source: Rob Boudon / Wikimedia Commons
> 21-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2000 still alive today: 97.7%
> Births in 2000: 4,058,814
> U.S. population, 2000: 282,162,411
Source: SFC Thomas R. Roberts / Wikimedia Commons
> 20-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2001 still alive today: 97.5%
> Births in 2001: 4,025,933
> U.S. population, 2001: 284,968,955
Source: Sergeant Joseph R. Chenelly, United States Marine Corps / Wikimedia Commons
> 19-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2002 still alive today: 95.7%
> Births in 2002: 4,021,726
> U.S. population, 2002: 287,625,193
Source: National Archive Catalog / Wikimedia Commons
> 18-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2003 still alive today: 95.0%
> Births in 2003: 4,089,950
> U.S. population, 2003: 290,107,933
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Source: Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison Jr., U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons
> 17-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2004 still alive today: 95.6%
> Births in 2004: 4,112,052
> U.S. population, 2004: 292,805,298
Source: Jocelyn Augustino / Wikimedia Commons
> 16-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2005 still alive today: 95.3%
> Births in 2005: 4,138,349
> U.S. population, 2005: 295,516,599
Source: Kjetil Ree / Wikimedia Commons
> 15-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2006 still alive today: 93.1%
> Births in 2006: 4,265,555
> U.S. population, 2006: 298,379,912
Source: Ben Stanfield / Wikimedia Commons
> 14-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2007 still alive today: 93.2%
> Births in 2007: 4,316,233
> U.S. population, 2007: 301,231,207
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Source: CODEPINK Women For Peace / Wikimedia Commons
> 13-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2008 still alive today: 94.6%
> Births in 2008: 4,247,694
> U.S. population, 2008: 304,093,966
Source: Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons
> 12-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2009 still alive today: 94.6%
> Births in 2009: 4,130,665
> U.S. population, 2009: 306,771,529
Source: U.S. Coast Guard / Wikimedia Commons
> 11-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2010 still alive today: 98.0%
> Births in 2010: 3,999,386
> U.S. population, 2010: 309,346,863
Source: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons
> 10-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2011 still alive today: 99.5%
> Births in 2011: 3,953,590
> U.S. population, 2011: 311,718,857
Source: New Jersey National Guard / Wikimedia Commons
> 9-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2012 still alive today: 98.7%
> Births in 2012: 3,952,841
> U.S. population, 2012: 314,102,623
Source: White House / Sonya Hebert / Wikimedia Commons
> 8-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2013 still alive today: 99.2%
> Births in 2013: 3,932,181
> U.S. population, 2013: 316,427,395
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Source: TechCrunch / Wikimedia Commons
> 7-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2014 still alive today: 98.3%
> Births in 2014: 3,988,076
> U.S. population, 2014: 318,907,401
Source: Difference engine / Wikimedia Commons
> 6-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2015 still alive today: 98.8%
> Births in 2015: 3,978,497
> U.S. population, 2015: 321,418,820
Source: Krassotkin, Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons
> 5-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2016 still alive today: 99.2%
> Births in 2016: 3,945,875
> U.S. population, 2016: 323,071,342
Source: Wikimedia Commons
> 4-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2017 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 2017: 3,855,500
> U.S. population, 2017: 325,147,121
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Source: Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
> 3-year-old pop., 2021:
> People born in 2018 still alive today: 99.9%
> Births in 2018: 3,791,712
> U.S. population, 2018: 327,167,439
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