Special Report

How Many People Were Born the Year You Were Born

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At the forefront of issues that face humanity, many would rank climate change and overpopulation as perhaps some of the biggest existential threats. However, there are some, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who would disagree Earth cannot sustain population growth and point to population implosion as the largest threat facing humanity. Recent birth rates seem to reinforce this idea.

According to this argument, if countries with inverted population pyramids, like Japan or most of Europe, were to continue on this course over a long period of time they would vanish entirely. Population pyramids are a representation of the population by sex and age, with younger age and the bottom and older at the top, and the sexes on each side. Turning the focus to the United States, recent years suggest that there could be an inversion taking place. (Here are countries on track to shrink the most this century.)

24/7 Wall St. took a closer look at population changes throughout America’s modern history. Specifically, we reviewed the number of people born every year since 1933 using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System. We also calculated the birth rate for each year using population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data on the most popular baby names comes from the Social Security Administration

Over the last three years, the birth rate has fallen to roughly 11 births per 1,000 people. The recent birth rates are less than half the birth rate in 1947 of nearly 26 births per 1,000 Americans — the highest rate of the years examined.

Some are suggesting that the recent COVID-19 pandemic was a contributing factor to the decline over the past few years. Even though this may be true, there has been a definitive trend lower for a long time now. The pandemic may have just further lowered the birth rate in the near term. Whether or not there will be a bounce back remains to be seen. (This is the state that will grow the most in the next 20 years.)

Here is a look at how many people were born the year you were born.

FPG / Getty Images

1933
> Births: 2,081,232
> Total population: 125,578,763
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

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FPG / Getty Images

1934
> Births: 2,167,636
> Total population: 126,373,773
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

FPG / Getty Images

1935
> Births: 2,155,105
> Total population: 127,250,232
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

MPI / Getty Images

1936
> Births: 2,144,790
> Total population: 128,053,180
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

FPG / Getty Images

1937
> Births: 2,203,337
> Total population: 128,824,829
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Ben Shahn / Getty Images

1938
> Births: 2,286,962
> Total population: 129,824,939
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Kurt Hutton / Getty Images

1939
> Births: 2,265,588
> Total population: 130,879,718
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

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Archive Photos / Getty Images

1940
> Births: 2,360,399
> Total population: 132,122,446
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1941
> Births: 2,513,427
> Total population: 133,402,471
> Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1942
> Births: 2,808,996
> Total population: 134,859,553
> Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1943
> Births: 2,934,860
> Total population: 136,739,353
> Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

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FPG / Getty Images

1944
> Births: 2,794,800
> Total population: 138,397,345
> Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Frederic Lewis / Getty Images

1945
> Births: 2,735,456
> Total population: 139,928,165
> Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1946
> Births: 3,288,672
> Total population: 141,388,566
> Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1947
> Births: 3,699,940
> Total population: 144,126,071
> Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1948
> Births: 3,535,068
> Total population: 146,631,302
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1949
> Births: 3,559,529
> Total population: 149,188,130
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

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James W. Welgos / Getty Images

1950
> Births: 3,554,149
> Total population: 152,271,417
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1951
> Births: 3,750,850
> Total population: 154,877,889
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

Graphic House / Getty Images

1952
> Births: 3,846,986
> Total population: 157,552,740
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: James
> Most popular girl name: Linda

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1953
> Births: 3,902,120
> Total population: 160,184,192
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Robert
> Most popular girl name: Mary

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Archive Photos / Getty Images

1954
> Births: 4,017,362
> Total population: 163,025,854
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1955
> Births: 4,047,295
> Total population: 165,931,202
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Phil Burchman / Getty Images

1956
> Births: 4,163,090
> Total population: 168,903,031
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1957
> Births: 4,254,784
> Total population: 171,984,130
> Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1958
> Births: 4,203,812
> Total population: 174,881,904
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1959
> Births: 4,244,796
> Total population: 177,829,628
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

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Harvey Meston / Getty Images

1960
> Births: 4,257,850
> Total population: 180,671,158
> Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: David
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Express / Getty Images

1961
> Births: 4,268,326
> Total population: 183,691,481
> Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Mary

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1962
> Births: 4,167,362
> Total population: 186,537,737
> Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1963
> Births: 4,098,020
> Total population: 189,241,798
> Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

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Archive Photos / Getty Images

1964
> Births: 4,027,490
> Total population: 191,888,791
> Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

scattered / Flickr

1965
> Births: 3,760,358
> Total population: 194,302,963
> Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1966
> Births: 3,606,274
> Total population: 196,560,338
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1967
> Births: 3,520,959
> Total population: 198,712,056
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

Evening Standard / Getty Images

1968
> Births: 3,501,564
> Total population: 200,706,052
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1969
> Births: 3,600,206
> Total population: 202,676,946
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Lisa

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Harvey Meston / Getty Images

1970
> Births: 3,731,386
> Total population: 205,052,174
> Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Space Frontiers / Getty Images

1971
> Births: 3,555,970
> Total population: 207,660,677
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1972
> Births: 3,258,411
> Total population: 209,896,021
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1973
> Births: 3,136,965
> Total population: 211,908,788
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

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Pictorial Parade / Getty Images

1974
> Births: 3,159,958
> Total population: 213,853,928
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Archive Photos / Getty Images

1975
> Births: 3,144,198
> Total population: 215,973,199
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Keystone / Getty Images

1976
> Births: 3,167,788
> Total population: 218,035,164
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1977
> Births: 3,326,632
> Total population: 220,239,425
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Space Frontiers / Getty Images

1978
> Births: 3,333,279
> Total population: 222,584,545
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Tony Duffy / Getty Images

1979
> Births: 3,494,398
> Total population: 225,055,487
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

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FPG / Getty Images

1980
> Births: 3,612,258
> Total population: 227,224,681
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Gene Forte / Getty Images

1981
> Births: 3,629,238
> Total population: 229,465,714
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

1982
> Births: 3,680,537
> Total population: 231,664,458
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Tony Duffy / Getty Images

1983
> Births: 3,638,933
> Total population: 233,791,994
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

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Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

1984
> Births: 3,669,141
> Total population: 235,824,902
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jennifer

Space Frontiers / Getty Images

1985
> Births: 3,760,561
> Total population: 237,923,795
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Getty Images / Staff

1986
> Births: 3,756,547
> Total population: 240,132,887
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Rick Stewart / Getty Images

1987
> Births: 3,809,394
> Total population: 242,288,918
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Getty Images / Staff

1988
> Births: 3,909,510
> Total population: 244,498,982
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Pascal Rondeau / Getty Images

1989
> Births: 4,040,958
> Total population: 246,819,230
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

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Space Frontiers / Getty Images

1990
> Births: 4,158,212
> Total population: 249,464,396
> Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Ashley

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1991
> Births: 4,110,907
> Total population: 252,153,092
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Ashley

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1992
> Births: 4,065,014
> Total population: 255,029,699
> Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Ashley

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1993
> Births: 4,000,240
> Total population: 257,782,608
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

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Phil Cole / Getty Images

1994
> Births: 3,952,767
> Total population: 260,327,021
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1995
> Births: 3,899,589
> Total population: 262,803,276
> Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Jessica

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

1996
> Births: 3,891,494
> Total population: 265,228,572
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

1997
> Births: 3,880,894
> Total population: 267,783,607
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Space Frontiers / Getty Images

1998
> Births: 3,941,553
> Total population: 270,248,003
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Michael
> Most popular girl name: Emily

USAF / Getty Images

1999
> Births: 3,959,417
> Total population: 272,690,813
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

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NASA / Getty Images

2000
> Births: 4,058,814
> Total population: 282,162,411
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

2001
> Births: 4,025,933
> Total population: 284,968,955
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

2002
> Births: 4,021,726
> Total population: 287,625,193
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Scott Barbour / Getty Images

2003
> Births: 4,089,950
> Total population: 290,107,933
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

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Chris Jackson / Getty Images

2004
> Births: 4,112,052
> Total population: 292,805,298
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

2005
> Births: 4,138,349
> Total population: 295,516,599
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Wathiq Khuzaie / Getty Images

2006
> Births: 4,265,555
> Total population: 298,379,912
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

David Paul Morris / Getty Images

2007
> Births: 4,316,233
> Total population: 301,231,207
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emily

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

2008
> Births: 4,247,694
> Total population: 304,093,966
> Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Emma

Alex Wong / Getty Images

2009
> Births: 4,130,665
> Total population: 306,771,529
> Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Isabella

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Chris Graythen / Getty Images

2010
> Births: 3,999,386
> Total population: 309,346,863
> Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Isabella

Majid Saeedi / Getty Images

2011
> Births: 3,953,590
> Total population: 311,718,857
> Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Sophia

Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

2012
> Births: 3,952,841
> Total population: 314,102,623
> Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Jacob
> Most popular girl name: Sophia

Michael Buckner / Getty Images

2013
> Births: 3,932,181
> Total population: 316,427,395
> Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Noah
> Most popular girl name: Sophia

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Sean Gallup / Getty Images

2014
> Births: 3,988,076
> Total population: 318,907,401
> Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Noah
> Most popular girl name: Emma

NASA / Getty Images

2015
> Births: 3,978,497
> Total population: 321,418,820
> Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Noah
> Most popular girl name: Emma

Scott Olson / Getty Images

2016
> Births: 3,945,875
> Total population: 323,071,342
> Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Noah
> Most popular girl name: Emma

NASA / Getty Images

2017
> Births: 3,855,500
> Total population: 325,147,121
> Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Liam
> Most popular girl name: Emma

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

2018
> Births: 3,791,712
> Total population: 327,167,439
> Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Liam
> Most popular girl name: Emma

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Anthony Kwan / Getty Images

2019
> Births: 3,747,540
> Total population: 328,239,523
> Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Liam
> Most popular girl name: Olivia

flyparade / Getty Images

2020
> Births: 3,613,647
> Total population: 331,449,281
> Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Liam
> Most popular girl name: Olivia

Alex Wong / Getty Images

2021
> Births: 3,664,292
> Total population: 331,893,745
> Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people
> Most popular boy name: Liam
> Most popular girl name: Olivia

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