What Is Generation Alpha?
Kids in the Generation Alpha club are the first generation to be born entirely within the 21st century. They’re immersed in technology and described by diversity in key areas, including their race and ethnicity, family structure and family finances. They’re also the first generation to experience an early childhood defined by the coronavirus pandemic.
This post takes a closer look at what we know — for now — about America’s youngest citizens.
Frequently asked questions about Generation Alpha
What birth years define Generation Alpha?
While definitions vary, the term Generation Alpha typically refers to the group of individuals born between 2013 and 2025. This is the generation after Gen Z.
How large is Generation Alpha?
Every nine seconds, a member of Generation Alpha is born in the United States. Every week, 2 million members are born worldwide. By 2025 — when one age group gives way to another — Generation Alpha will be nearly 2 billion members strong across the globe, according to social analyst Mark McCrindle.
Who came before Generation Alpha?
Generation Z came before Generation Alpha. Members of Generation Z were born between 1997 to 2012 according to the Pew Research Center. Generation Z follows members of Generation Y, more commonly known as millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996.
One way to envision how these groups fit together: Members of Generation Alpha are often the children of millennials and the younger siblings of Generation Z.
How does Generation Alpha compare to Generation Z?
Comparing Generation Alpha versus Generation Z statistics — much like the groups’ members themselves — are still developing. However, if current trends hold, Generation Alpha will be more racially and ethnically diverse than Generation Z. Members of Generation Alpha will also be more likely to go to college, more likely to grow up in a single-parent household and more likely to be surrounded by college-educated adults.
While members of both age groups have grown up with technology at their fingertips, Gen Alpha kids have a key advantage. As McCrindle puts it: “They are the most materially endowed and technologically literate generation to ever grace the planet!”
How diverse is Generation Alpha?
In the United States, white people represent a shrinking share of the nation’s population. For instance: Gen Alpha is the first generation in which the white population is a minority share of the overall population at 48%. This compares to 51% for Gen Z, 55% for millennials, 60% for Gen X and 72% for baby boomers.
So far, Generation Alpha kids is the nation’s most racially and ethnically diverse generation yet. Children of color represent the majority of Gen Alpha and their demographic breakdown in 2022 was:
- 26% Latino or Hispanic
- 16% Black
- 7% Asian American or Pacific Islander
- 6% Two or more races
- 2% American Indian or Alaska Native
What do we know about Generation Alpha and technology?
Generation Alpha kicked off right after Apple launched its iPad and Instagram made its debut. Surrounded by technology from the get-go, this group views digital tools as omnipresent — not just trendy accessories.
Growing up logged on and linked up — aided by the likes of Siri and Alexa and engrossed in videos and all things visual — can have its advantages, including greater digital literacy and adaptability. But a childhood defined by technology can also lead to challenges, such as impaired social development, reduced cognitive functioning, obesity and mental health problems, experts warn. High levels of social media use among children and teens are associated with a number of issues, including depression, anxiety, inadequate sleep (which can disrupt neurological development), low self-esteem, poor body image, disordered eating and more. Cyberbullying is also an increasingly common problem for today’s kids, with 1 in 6 parents reporting that their child has experienced such harassment, according to researchers.
What do we know about Generation Alpha and educational attainment?
From 2013 to 2022 — the first nine years of Generation Alpha — the United States saw educational attainment improve among adults between the ages of 25 and 34. During this time frame, adults grew more likely to hold a bachelor’s (23% to 28%) or graduate (10% to 12%) degree as their highest level of educational attainment. In addition, the share of high school students who didn’t graduate on time fell (18% to 14%) during the 2013–14 to 2019–20 school years.
If these trends hold, Generation Alpha kids will be more likely to grow up surrounded by college-educated adults compared to prior generations. And, once in the classroom, they will be more likely to extend their own academic careers and earn a college degree.
What do we know about Generation Alpha and family structure?
In Generation Alpha’s first year, the share of kids growing up in a single-parent family was 35%. Thirteen years prior — in 2000 — this same statistic was only 31%. Since 2013, this statistic has held steady at 34% or 35%. If this pattern holds, Generation Alpha kids will be more likely to live in single-parent households — and in greater numbers — than any age group before them.
Historically, kids in single-parent households have been more likely to struggle compared to their peers in two-parent families. For instance, kids raised by just one parent are more likely to live in poverty and experience the consequences of growing up poor. Such effects can be profound and wide-ranging, including limited access to quality education and health care, lower educational attainment, health and behavioral health problems, increased risk of contact with the child welfare and justice systems and other challenges. Underlying factors about families — such as strong and stable relationships, parental mental health, socioeconomic status and access to resources — have a greater impact on child success than does family structure alone, research indicates.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Generation Alpha?
While some experts are already calling COVID-19 a “defining moment” for Generation Alpha, it’s still too early to know the long-term effects of the pandemic on America’s families and future.
Here’s what we do know: In early 2020, the pandemic caused widespread economic hardship and isolated families in unprecedented ways. Millions of parents experienced job loss, financial and health care instability, illness and loss of loved ones — all while juggling their children’s care and education.
After the pandemic initially caused child care and school closures, many schools reopened using virtual learning and most employers transitioned to remove work. Technology came to the rescue for many — but not all — children and families. For many kids, including the oldest members of Generation Alpha who were 7 years old in 2020, screen time soared, with the screens themselves doubling as classroom blackboards and emergency babysitters.
At the same time, not all kids had access to technology to participate in these learning opportunities. A summer 2021 survey found that over 10% of U.S. households with kids in grades K–12 lacked access to internet and a computer to support their children’s education. Other studies have found that children in low-income households are less likely to have access to computers.
While screen time spiked for most Gen Alpha kids during the pandemic, families recoiled into their homes, play dates stopped and extracurricular activities were canceled. This withdrawal increased social isolation, which has sparked concerns about declines in student learning and school connection. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is continuing to track the effects of COVID-19 on children, youth, young adults and families through the KIDS COUNT Data Center and other surveys.
Pre-pandemic, experts projected that Generation Alpha kids would follow in the activist footsteps of Generation Z and keep sustainability near the top of their priority list. Now, COVID-19’s radical reset of societal norms could further intensify this age group’s interest in reimagining a healthier, greener world.
What do we know about Generation Alpha, family finances and economic inequities?
The start of Generation Alpha was sandwiched between two global economic crises — the Great Recession of 2007-08 and the pandemic-induced economic downturn in 2020. When the first Gen Alpha kids were born, families were still recovering from the Great Recession and it wasn’t long before they were hit with the next major crisis. It may be unsurprising, then, that the youngest and most vulnerable age group, Gen Alpha, has experienced higher poverty rates to date than did Gen Zers, millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers, according to the KIDS COUNT Data Center.
In 2021 (which is the latest data available), nearly one in five Generation Alpha kids is living below the federal poverty level, which was was $27,479 in earnings annually for a family of two adults and two children. Also in 2021: Almost 2 in 5 Generation Alpha kids were in growing up in low-income families, which is defined as earning less annually than twice the value of the federal poverty level.
Racial inequities are stark for Generation Alpha. Roughly 60% of Black, American Indian or Alaska Native and Latino Gen Alpha kids live in low-income families compared to less than 30% of their white peers, the latest data reveals. And more than 1 in 3 Black and American Indian or Alaska Native Gen Alpha kids have been living in poverty since birth, according to 2013–20 KIDS COUNT Data Center figures. The same is true for over 1 in 4 Latino Gen Alpha kids, over 1 in 5 kids of multiple races and just over 1 in 10 white and Asian American kids.
These figures are based on the official federal poverty level, which only considers pre-tax cash earning. Families can earn well over the official poverty level and still not make ends meet, especially in high-cost regions. A different measure, the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), considers a broader set of resources, such as in-kind and safety net benefits. The SPM also factors in regional variation in cost of living. The Annie E. Casey Foundation advocates using the SPM for these reasons.
In 2022, when Gen Alpha was age 9 and younger, the SPM child poverty rate jumped to 12% — more than twice the 2021 rate of 5%. This means that millions of kids, including Gen Alpha kids, were living in families that did not have enough resources to satisfy basic needs, such as food, housing and utilities.
Check the SPM child poverty rate in your state
Also disheartening: U.S. income inequities by race and ethnicity have widened since the first Generation Alphas were born. From 2013 to 2021, the median family income for Black, Latino and American Indian or Alaska Native households with kids sat below all other groups on record and far below than the national average. For Black households, specifically, the 2021 median family income fell a staggering $37,600 short of the average household.
Unfortunately, these gaps are not likely to improve anytime soon. Throughout 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey consistently found that families of color were more likely to experience a loss of employment income compared to white families or the national average. In the fall of 2022, around 14% of U.S. households with kids had recently lost employment income. This rate dipped to 9% for white households and ran higher than the national average for families of color. The exact percentages for these groups were:
- 23% of two or more race or other race households (a group that includes American Indian or Alaska Native and Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian families)
- 22% of Latino or Hispanic households
- 18% of Black households
- 16% of Asian American households
For Generation Alpha kids growing up in America’s poorest households, the challenges intertwined in their family finances are wide-ranging and long-lasting. Poverty elevates a child’s risk of experiencing behavioral, social-emotional and health challenges, as noted. Child poverty also reduces skill-building opportunities and academic outcomes, undercutting a young student’s capacity to learn, graduate from high school and more.
How can I learn more about Generation Alpha?
Gene Alphas are still arriving — and so are the data for this age group. See hundreds of statistics on the health and well-being for children of all ages in the KIDS COUNT Data Center.
A few additional resources to explore now include:
- 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book
- What the Statistics Say about Generation Z
- What are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z
- Understanding Generation Alpha
- Social Media’s Concerning Effect on Teen Mental Health
New KIDS COUNT Data on Gen Alpha and other generations:
- Population size by Gen Alpha, Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers, by race and ethnicity
- People living in poverty by generation
- People living in poverty by generation and race and ethnicity
- People living in low-income households by generation
- People living in low-income households by generation and race and ethnicity
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