Number of adolescents aged 10 to 19

Number of adolescents aged 10 to 19

Total (2025)

42 Million

Annualized Growth 2020-25

-0.5 %

Definition of Number of adolescents aged 10 to 19

In 2025, the number of adolescents aged 10 to 19 in the United States is expected to reach 42.1 million, reflecting a marginal annual decline of 0.3%. This trend continues a moderate contraction, largely resulting from a sustained decrease in national birth rates. Although immigration has played a role in supplementing youth population numbers by introducing additional young individuals to the country, it has not fully offset the impact of fewer births. Policy constraints on immigration quotas and processing speeds have limited the effectiveness of migration as a counterbalance to domestic demographic shifts.

From 2020 to 2025, the adolescent population demonstrated a consistent but mild downward trend, beginning at 43.2 million in 2020 before declining to 42.1 million by 2025. The most notable drop occurred in 2024, when the population contracted by 1.6%. This decline coincided with ongoing reductions in national fertility rates as more couples delayed childbearing or chose smaller families, a pattern observed throughout advanced economies. Short-term rebounds in adolescent numbers over the period, as witnessed in 2020, were partially due to immigration policy adjustments and the naturalization of young migrants. However, restrictive caps on annual immigrant admissions, especially for non-citizen youth, prevented sustained increases. While legal migration played a role in partially alleviating the demographic contraction, the overall effectiveness was constrained by federal policy priorities and administrative bottlenecks that limited entry for younger cohorts.

Macroeconomic and social trends amplified these demographic shifts. Labor force participation among women, urbanization, and changes in family structure have all influenced declining birth rates. Additionally, political cycles and evolving attitudes toward immigration have affected both the pace and character of population inflows. The period also saw heightened political discourse on immigration, leading to frequently shifting regulatory environments that directly influenced the number of eligible adolescent entrants.

Over the five years to 2025, these overlapping forces have resulted in a modest yet persistent shrinkage of the US adolescent population. Fertility declines have remained the fundamental driver, with immigration adding only limited compensatory growth within a tightly regulated context.