Generation Alpha: Statistics, Data and Trends (2024)

Generation Alpha is made up of people born — or yet to be born — between 2010 and 2025. They’re the first generation born entirely in the 21st century. Broadly speaking, their parents are Millennials and their older siblings are Gen Zs.

Gen Alpha is in a unique position. While they’re not the first digitally-native generation (that would be Gen Z), they understand and adapt to new technology faster than any previous generation.

Millions of Gen Alphas are yet to be born, and the oldest aren’t even in high school yet. As such, their future outlook is mostly up in the air. But by examining their attitudes and perspectives today, we can get a clearer picture of what the future might hold for them.

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Contents

• Top Generation Alpha Statistics
• Overall Generation Alpha Statistics
• Generation Alpha Education & Career Statistics
• Generation Alpha Consumer Statistics
• Generation Alpha Entertainment Statistics

Top Generation Alpha Statistics

Looking for a quick overview? Here are the top 6 Gen Alpha stats to know.

• More than 2.5 million Gen Alphas are born globally each week.
• 65% of Gen Alphas will work in jobs that don’t exist today.
• Generation Alpha is the most diverse generation in US history.
• Half of Gen Alphas are expected to earn a university degree.
• 49% of Gen Alphas trust influencers as much as family with purchasing decisions.
• Gen Alpha spending will surpass that of all other generations by 2034.

Overall Generation Alpha Statistics

Generation Alpha is the first generation born in the 21st century. Raised with more diversity and technology than any previous generation, Gen Alphas see and interact with the world differently than their parents and older siblings. These stats cover who Gen Alphas are, the issues they face, and what matters most to them.

2,586,000 Gen Alphas are born globally each week (McCrindle)

There are already almost 2 billion Gen Alphas living in the world. India, China, and Nigeria are the top 3 countries for Gen Alpha births. Based on current projections, Generation Alpha will be the largest generation in history.

Generation Alpha is the most diverse generation in US history (Hotwire Global)

Racial demographics in the United States have been tilting toward more diversity over the past several decades, and Gen Alpha reflects that shift. According to the latest US census, 47% of American children identify as non-white.

Generation Alpha considers helping people the most important thing in life (GWI)

When GWI asked Gen Alphas in the US what was important in life, 61% said helping people. Protecting people from bullying (51%), everyone being treated the same (51%), what their family thinks of them (46%), and family background/culture (41%) rounded out the top 5 answers.

Gen Alphas will live longer than previous generations (United Nations)

Increased life expectancy has been a trend throughout human history, and it’s thought there are close to a million centenarians alive today. The average human born in 1981 can expect to live for a little over 61 years. Gen Alphas born in 2024 have a global average life expectancy of 73.3 years — as much as 20% longer than the oldest Millennial parents.

Generation Alpha Education & Career Statistics

Generation Alpha is growing up at an unprecedented time for both education and work. Remote learning and education technology give students more ways to learn. As Gen Alpha enters the workforce, they’ll have exciting career paths that don’t even exist today.

Half of Gen Alphas are predicted to earn a university degree (McCrindle)

Generation Alpha is set up to be the most highly-educated generation in history. Mark McCrindle predicts that 90% will earn a high school diploma (compared to 80% of Gen Z teenagers) and half will complete their secondary education.

72% of students globally use some kind of digital device in the classroom (Qustodio)

Most of the oldest Gen Alphas spent at least one full school year remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, technology has become ubiquitous in education.

44% of students have a school-provided device, and an additional 28% bring their own devices from home.

67% of fourth-graders aren’t proficient in reading (NAEP)

Reading is an important metric in predicting education outcomes. By the fourth grade, children are expected to learn other subjects by reading about them. With a little over two-thirds of fourth graders not classed as ‘proficient’ in reading, a two per cent increase on 2019, literacy remains a top priority for today’s educators.

Around 2 in 3 Gen Alphas will work in jobs that don’t exist today (McCrindle)

With technology accelerating at a rapid pace, entirely new industries will exist by the time Gen Alpha enters the labor market. They’ll also hold jobs in today’s emerging industries, like artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

Gen Alpha wants to grow up to make a difference (Razorfish)

More than 30% of Gen Alphas say they want to make a difference, growing up to help people or the planet. The next most common aspiration is to turn their hobbies into jobs, a goal shared by close to 15%.

STEM career opportunities could increase by 10.8% over the next decade (BLS)

By 2031, the oldest Gen Alphas will start entering the workforce. Employment in STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — is projected to grow almost 11% in the 10 years leading up to 2032, compared to just 2.3% for the overall jobs market.

The average STEM job commands a $101,650 median annual salary, compared to $46,680 for all jobs combined.

Generation Alpha Consumer Statistics

What sort of media does Generation Alpha consume? How do they balance time spent outdoors, with friends, and in front of screens? Here are the latest Gen Alpha entertainment stats.

Gen Alpha spends more time looking at screens than any other generation (McCrindle)

Gen Alphas have access to smartphones and tablets from an increasingly early age. Children between 8 and 12 years old spend an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes in front of screens every day.

74% of Gen Alphas go outside or reduce their technology usage in order to manage mental health (Razorfish)

Smartphone addiction and social media addiction have been on the rise in recent years. Generation Alpha may represent the pendulum swinging in the opposite direction. 75% of children aged 8-10 are already thinking about mental health, with a similar number recognizing a need to disconnect from technology at times to maintain wellbeing.

YouTube and Disney+ are the most popular video streaming services for Gen Alpha (Morning Consult)

YouTube is the most popular platform among Gen Alpha, with Razorfish reporting that 51% of the generation hear about brands first through this medium.

Including the very youngest 0-4 cohort, 50% of Gen Alpha are streaming video daily.

Singing and dancing are Gen Alpha’s favorite TV show genres (GWI)

33% of Gen Alphas say they like watching TV shows they can dance to, while 32% say the same about singing shows. 30% enjoy watching shows about sports and 26% like watching cooking shows. Siblings also help influence Gen Alpha’s watching habits, with 27% saying they’ll watch what their siblings are watching.

Around 2 in 5 Gen Alpha gamers want to play video games that allow them to build or create (GWI)

Games designed to facilitate creativity are the top choice for Gen Alpha gamers. 58% report playing Minecraft over the past month, and 43% report the same for Roblox.

Google searches for “Roblox” over the past 5 years. 

Wrap Up

Generation Alpha is the youngest generation living on the planet today. By the time they’re all born in 2025, they’ll be the largest demographic. Alphas are tech-savvy with a deep sense of environmental and social awareness.

As Gen Alpha matures, their expectations from brands, organizations, and governments are sure to have a lasting impact on the next several decades of human history.

For more related content, take a look at Key Gen Z Trends and Millennial Trends.