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.

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.

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?

The statistic shows the number of people in the U.S. in 2011 and 2030, by generation. By 2030, the Millennial generation will have 78 million people whereas the Boomer generation will only have 56 million people in the United States.

In 2023, there were about 72.7 million Millennials estimated to be living in the United States, making them the largest generation group in the country. In comparison, there were 69.31 million Gen Z and 65.35 million Gen X estimated to be in the United States in that year.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Unit Characteristics: Percent White, Asian, and All Other Races, Not Including African American by Generation: Birth Year of 1945 or Earlier (CXUWHTNDOTHLB1609M) from 2019 to 2023 about consumer unit, birth, asian, white, percent, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Small Appliances, Miscellaneous Housewares by Generation: Birth Year from 1946 to 1964 (CXUSMAPPHWRLB1604M) from 2016 to 2023 about small, appliances, miscellaneous, birth, expenditures, and USA.

In 2018, 18 to 21-year-olds, who were part of Generation Z were more likely to be enrolled in college in comparison to Millennials and Generation X cohorts at a corresponding age. ** percent of Generation Z were enrolled in college in 2018 compared to ** percent of Gen Xers in 1987.

In the first quarter of 2024, 51.8 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials own around 9.4 percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there is almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States.

This app highlights the predominant generations that make up the population of the United States, using country to block group geographies that vary according to zoom level. The map, which was featured in Esri's Living Atlas gallery, forms the basis of an analysis of travel agency locations to determine the best one for launching luxury travel services to baby boomers. Use the Bookmarks tool to see the predominant generations in the census tract areas in and around Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Click individual census tracts on the map to see pop-up information, including the population of each generation in a given census tract.This app was created for instructional purposes only and should not be used as an authoritative resource.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Alcoholic Beverages by Generation: Birth Year from 1981 to 1996 (CXUALCBEVGLB1608M) from 2019 to 2023 about alcoholic beverages, birth, expenditures, and USA.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the United States population distribution across 18 age groups. It lists the population in each age group along with the percentage population relative of the total population for United States. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of United States by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in United States.

Key observations

The largest age group in United States was for the group of age 25-29 years with a population of 22,854,328 (6.93%), according to the 2021 American Community Survey. At the same time, the smallest age group in United States was the 80-84 years with a population of 5,932,196 (1.80%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group in consideration
• Population: The population for the specific age group in the United States is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of United States total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for United States Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Graph and download economic data for Net Change in Total Assets by Generation: Birth Year from 1981 to 1996 (CXUCHGASSETLB1608M) from 2019 to 2023 about change, birth, Net, assets, and USA.

A survey conducted in July 2022 in the United States, found that consumers from older generations were more likely to believe their financial situation had gotten worse, or would become worse in the coming year. 54 percent of Baby Boomers said their financial situation had worsened over the last 12 months, versus 45.9 percent of Gen Z respondents.

In 2023, the disposable income of a household led by a Millennial in the United States was 97,866 U.S. dollars per year. Households led by someone born in Generation X, however, had a disposable income of around 113,886 U.S. dollars in 2023.

As of 2024, patriotism in the United States varied greatly by age. According to a survey, 21 percent of those between 18 and 34 years of age considered themselves extremely proud to be American. In contrast, about half of respondents 55 and older considered themselves extremely proud to be American. Politics of Generation Z In 2024, the oldest members of Gen Z were turning 27 years old. Their political views have been developed against the backdrop of COVID-19, social unrest and police brutality, Donald Trump, and the global climate crisis. Along with Millennials, they were the most likely to describe themselves as Independent rather than loyal to a particular political party, and the least likely generation to be Republican. Gen Z have lower trust in government than previous generations and are more likely to worry about wages than any other generation. Combined with a decreased purchasing power compared to other generations at similar points in their careers, this perhaps provides insight into Gen Z's reticence when it comes to American exceptionalism. Gen Z as consumers Members of Gen Z are unlike any other bracket of consumers in the United States. Born into a digitized world, they are the most tech-savvy consumers yet. While they are more likely to shop online than any other generation, they are significantly more motivated by their personal values and happy to explore new products. Companies will need to maintain a consistent brand-image to keep Gen Z shoppers on board – given the Zoomers decreased brand loyalty, and increased inclination to buy secondhand products.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Other Household Products by Generation: Birth Year of 1945 or Earlier (CXUHKPGOTHRLB1609M) from 2019 to 2023 about birth, expenditures, households, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Total Average Annual Expenditures by Generation: Birth Year of 1927 or Earlier (CXUTOTALEXPLB1606M) from 2016 to 2018 about birth, average, expenditures, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Postage and Stationery by Generation: Birth Year of 1927 or Earlier (CXUPOSTAGELB1606M) from 2016 to 2018 about birth, paper, expenditures, and USA.