Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States in 2024, with an estimated population of ***** million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group, and they will continue to be a major part of the population for many years. The rise of Generation Alpha Generation Alpha is the most recent to have been named, and many group members will not be able to remember a time before smartphones and social media. As of 2024, the oldest Generation Alpha members were still only aging into adolescents. However, the group already makes up around ***** percent of the U.S. population, and they are said to be the most racially and ethnically diverse of all the generation groups. Boomers vs. Millennials The number of Baby Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in births following the Second World War, has fallen by around ***** million since 2010. However, they remain the second-largest generation group, and aging Boomers are contributing to steady increases in the median age of the population. Meanwhile, the Millennial generation continues to grow, and one reason for this is the increasing number of young immigrants arriving in the United States.

In 2024, Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States, making up about 21.81 percent of the population. However, Generation Z was not far behind, with Gen Z accounting for around 20.81 percent of the population in that year.

This map layer shows the prevalent generations that make up the population of the United States using multiple scales. As of 2018, the most predominant generations in the U.S. are Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Millennials (born 1981-1998), and Generation Z (born 1999-2016). Currently, Millennials are the most predominant population in the U.S.A generation represents a group of people who are born around the same time and experience world events and trends during the same stage of life through similar mediums (for example, online, television, print, or radio). Because of this, people born in the same generation are expected to have been exposed to similar values and developmental experiences, which may cause them to exhibit similar traits or behaviors over their lifetimes. Generations provide scientists and government officials the opportunity to measure public attitudes on important issues by people’s current position in life and document those differences across demographic groups and geographic regions. Generational cohorts also give researchers the ability to understand how different developmental experiences, such as technological, political, economic, and social changes, influence people’s opinions and personalities. Studying people in generational groups is significant because an individual’s age is a conventional predictor for understanding cultural and political gaps within the U.S. population.Though there is no exact equation to determine generational cutoff points, it is understood that we designate generational spans based on a 15- to 20-year gap. The only generational period officially designated by the U.S. Census Bureau is based on the surge of births after World War II in 1946 and a significant decline in birth rates after 1964 (Baby Boomers). From that point, generational gaps have been determined by significant political, economic, and social changes that define one’s formative years (for example, Generation Z is considered to be marked by children who were directly affected by the al Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001).In this map layer, we visualize six active generations in the U.S., each marked by significant changes in American history:The Greatest Generation (born 1901-1924): Tom Brokaw’s 1998 book, The Greatest Generation, coined the term ‘the Greatest Generation” to describe Americans who lived through the Great Depression and later fought in WWII. This generation had significant job and education opportunities as the war ended and the postwar economic booms impacted America.The Silent Generation (born 1925-1945): The title “Silent Generation” originated from a 1951 essay published in Time magazine that proposed the idea that people born during this period were more cautious than their parents. Conflict from the Cold War and the potential for nuclear war led to widespread levels of discomfort and uncertainty throughout the generation.Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964): Baby Boomers were named after a significant increase in births after World War II. During this 20-year span, life was dramatically different for those born at the beginning of the generation than those born at the tail end of the generation. The first 10 years of Baby Boomers (Baby Boomers I) grew up in an era defined by the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, in which a lot of this generation either fought in or protested against the war. Baby Boomers I tended to have great economic opportunities and were optimistic about the future of America. In contrast, the last 10 years of Baby Boomers (Baby Boomers II) had fewer job opportunities and available housing than their Boomer I counterparts. The effects of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal led a lot of second-wave boomers to lose trust in the American government. Generation X (born 1965-1980): The label “Generation X” comes from Douglas Coupland’s 1991 book, Generation X: Tales for An Accelerated Culture. This generation was notoriously exposed to more hands-off parenting, out-of-home childcare, and higher rates of divorce than other generations. As a result, many Gen X parents today are concerned about avoiding broken homes with their own kids.Millennials (born 1981-1998): During the adolescence of Millennials, America underwent a technological revolution with the emergence of the internet. Because of this, Millennials are generally characterized by older generations to be technologically savvy.Generation Z (born 1999-2016): Generation Z or “Zoomers” represent a generation raised on the internet and social media. Gen Z makes up the most ethnically diverse and largest generation in American history. Like Millennials, Gen Z is recognized by older generations to be very familiar with and/or addicted to technology.Questions to ask when you look at this mapDo you notice any trends with the predominant generations located in big cities? Suburbs? Rural areas?Where do you see big clusters of the same generation living in the same area?Which areas do you see the most diversity in generations?Look on the map for where you, your parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents live. Do they live in areas where their generation is the most predominant?

In 2023, there were about **** million Millennials estimated to be living in the United States, making them the largest generation group in the country. In comparison, there were ***** million Gen Z and ***** million Gen X estimated to be in the United States in that year.

Distribution of Gen X home buyers by race and ethnicity.

In 2024, there were approximately ** million millennials in the United Kingdom, making it the largest generational cohort at that time. Millennials surpassed the Baby Boomer generation as the largest generation for the first time in 2019. The two youngest generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, numbered approximately **** million, and ****million respectively. Gen X are, as of the most recent year, the second-largest generation in the UK at ** million people. The population born before the end of the Second World War in mid-1945 was just over **** million in this year. Post-War Baby Boom The baby boomer generation was the largest generation for much of this period due to the spike in births that happened after the Second World War. In 1947, for example, there were over *** million live births in the United Kingdom, compared with just ******* live births just thirty years later in 1977. Members of this generation are typically the parents of millennials, and were the driving force behind the countercultural movement of the 1960s, due to their large numbers relative to older generations at the time. The next generational cohort after Boomers are Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980. This generation had fewer members than the Boomer generation for most of its existence, and only became larger than it in 2021. Millennials and Gen Z As of 2024, the most common single year of age in the United Kingdom was 33, with approximately ******* people this age. Furthermore, people aged between 30 and 34 were the most numerous age group in this year, at almost *** million people. As of 2024, people in this age group were Millennials, the large generation who came of age in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many members of this generation entered the workforce following the 2008 financial crash, and suffered through high levels of unemployment during the early 2010s. The generation that followed Millennials, Generation Z, have also experienced tough socio-economic conditions recently, with key formative years dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and an increasingly unstable geopolitical situation.

The number of people living in urban neighborhoods has been rising in recent decades. This Commentary investigates changes in the number, ages, and financial status of those who have been moving into and out of urban neighborhoods, using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York/Equifax Consumer Credit Panel. I find that since 2000, the increase in urban populations is the result of young adults migrating into urban neighborhoods and senior citizens aging in place. Urban populations have also become more educated and well to do. While declining urban neighborhoods may still outnumber growing urban neighborhoods within some regions, urban leaders there can work toward population or tax base growth knowing that consumer tastes and national trends are favorable to those goals.

Distribution of Gen Z home buyers by race and ethnicity.

Distribution of Early Millennial home buyers by race and ethnicity.

In 2023, half of Generation Z in the United States were white. In comparison, 48 percent of Gen Alpha were white in that year, making it the first generation that does not have a majority white population in the United States.

Continuous Population Statistics: Resident population by date, sex and generation (age on 31 December). Quarterly. Provinces.

This map contains NYC administrative boundaries enriched with various demographics datasets.Learn more about Esri's Enrich Layer / Geoenrichment analysis tool.Learn more about Esri's Demographics, Psychographic, and Socioeconomic datasets.Search for a specific location or site using the search bar. Toggle layer visibility with the layer list. Click on a layer to see more information about the feature.

The United States population is projected to reach 341.7 million in 2025. This continues a steady growth trend observed over the past decade. As fertility rates fall below replacement level, this expansion is increasingly driven by international migration. In 2024, net migration added some 2.8 million people to the national population. The increasing population has significant implications for the country's economy, workforce, and social dynamics. Generational shifts shaping the population Millennials have emerged as the largest generation group in the U.S., estimated to reach over 74 million members in 2024. The group, born between 1981 and 1996, has recently surpassed Baby Boomers in size, and is expected to remain a dominant force in the population for years to come. Meanwhile, Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, maintains the highest disposable income among generational groups. Diverse demographics and future growth Diversity is a defining feature of the U.S. population. The Hispanic community, now the nation’s second-largest ethnic group, was estimated to reach about 68 million in 2024. Black Americans comprise approximately 47 million people nationwide. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha, America’s youngest named generation, is distinguished as the most racially and ethnically diversity age group. This highlights that diversity will remain a central element of the country's demographic landscape for years to come.

Population Figures: Resident population by date, sex and generation (age on 31 December). Semi-annual. Autonomous Communities and Cities.

Layer references: Predominant Generations in the United States in 2018-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This layer shows the predominant generations that make up the population of the United States using country to block group geographies. The vintage of the data is 2018. The top 3 predominant generations are Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Millennials (born 1981-1998), and Generation Z (born 1999-2016). Of these three, the predominant generation of the United States is Millennials. The popup is configured to show the predominant generation and population counts for each of the six generations. Size represents the total sum of categories (i.e. total population). Web Map: Predominant Generations in the United StatesFor more information, visit the Updated Demographics documentation. For a full list of variables, click the Data tab. Note: This layer will not being continuously updated or maintained.

Distribution of Late Millennial home buyers by race and ethnicity.

Utilizing Esri Updated Demographics Categories (boundaries from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau Data). This layer was created using Esri's Enrich tool to display some of the categories below at a Block Group level for Idaho. Esri Updated Demographics categories include the following:PopulationAge—By Generations, Age Dependency RatiosRace and Ethnicity—Diversity IndexSchool-Educational attainmentWork—Labor Force, Economic Dependency RatiosIncome—Total Income, Income by AgeHouseholds—Total Households, Tenure, FamiliesFamiliesHousing and Wealth—Total Housing Units, Housing Affordability Index, Percent of Income for Mortgage, Wealth Index, Contract RentHistorical Time Series—Population, Households, and Housing Units for each year between 2010 and current yearMethodology 2023/2028 Demographics2023-2028 Data Catalog

Distribution of Early Baby Boomer home buyers by race and ethnicity.

In 2024, Generation Z represented **** percent of the global population, making them the largest generation group in the world, according to the source. In 2030, Millennials were forecast to represent **** percent of the population worldwide.

Population Figures: Resident population by date, sex, generation (age on 31 December), nationality (groups of countries) and place of birth (groups of countries). Semi-annual. National.