•Chinese adolescents’ anxiety level was influenced by residents’ consumption level.•Weak social ties were associated with the increase of Chinese adolescents’ anxiety level.•Overall crime rate was related with the increased level of Chinese adolescents’ anxiety. Anxiety is a common problem and has a significant impact on adolescent development. The present study performed a cross-temporal meta-analysis and found that the anxiety level of Chinese adolescents increased substantially between 1992 and 2017 (N = 65,932) when measured using the Self-reported Anxiety Scale (SAS). Correlation between Chinese adolescents’ anxiety and the year was significantly positive. Since 1992, the mean scores have increased by 5.45 during this period, about 0.63 standard deviations. Additionally, mean anxiety scores were significantly correlated with important social indicators of social connectedness (divorce rate, urbanization level, and family size), economic conditions (Gini coefficient and residents’ consumption level) and overall threat (crime rate), indicating that social changes may be responsible for the rise in anxiety level among Chinese adolescents. Results were discussed in terms of the antecedents of anxiety, including social connectedness, economic conditions, and overall threat.