Generations

The Lost Generation, also known as the “Generation of 1914” in Europe, is a term originating from Gertrude Stein to describe those who fought in World War I. The Lost Generation are people born from 1883 to 1900 who came of age during World War I and the Roaring Twenties.

The Greatest Generation, also known as the “G.I. Generation”, includes the veterans who fought in World War II. They were born from 1901 to 1927.
Older G.I.s (or the Interbellum Generation) came of age during the Roaring Twenties, while younger G.I.s came of age during the Great Depression and World War II.

The Silent Generation, also known as the “Lucky Few”, is the cohort who came of age in the post–World War II era. They were born from 1928 to 1945.

Baby boomers are the people born following World War II from 1946 to 1964. Increased birth rates were observed during the post–World War II baby boom, making them a relatively large demographic cohort.

Generation X (or Gen X) is the cohort following the baby boomers. The generation is generally defined as people born between 1965 to 1980. The term has also been used in different times and places for a number of different subcultures or countercultures since the 1950s. In the U.S., some called Xers the “baby bust” generation because of a drop in birth rates following the baby boom.

Millennials, also known as Generation Y (or Gen Y), are the generation following Generation X who grew up around the turn of the 3rd millennium. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years. According to the Pew Research Center, the generation spans those born between 1981 and 1996. The Pew Research Center reported that Millennials surpassed the Baby Boomers in U.S. numbers in 2019, with an estimated 71.6 million Boomers and 72.1 million Millennials.

Generation Z (or Gen Z), are the people succeeding the Millennials. Researchers and popular media typically use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years. Pew Research Center describe Generation Z as spanning from 1997 to 2012. Statistics Canada describe Generation Z as spanning from 1993 to 2011.

Generation Alpha (or Gen Alpha) is the one succeeding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media typically use the early 2010s as starting birth years and the mid-2020s as ending birth years. Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century. As of 2015, there were some two-and-a-half million people born every week around the globe, and Gen Alpha is expected to reach two billion in size by 2025.