Baby Boomers Now Outnumbered by Millennials, According to Census Data

[Frodo]

Younger Turn for a Graying Nation

MAY 23, 2014

THERE are now more young adults than there are baby boomers.

From 1947 through 2010, the largest single age group in the United States was born sometime in the 18 years after the end of World War II. In 1947, that was zero years old — babies who had not yet celebrated their first birthday. In 2010, it was 50-year-olds.

But the Census Bureau now estimates that the biggest such group last year was 22-year-olds. The largest of the baby boom contingents, people who were 53 last year, had fallen to fourth place. The second- and third-ranked age levels were 23- and 21-year-olds.

By one measure — the civilian population — baby boomers lost their status only late last year, according to the Census Bureau. But using a broader measure, which includes members of the armed forces who are stationed in the United States, the change took place in 2011.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

What's the cutoff between the millennial generation and whatever is the one to come after it? 2000?

[Del Tachi]

What's the cutoff between the millennial generation and whatever is the one to come after it? 2000?

Way too late.

Should be somewhere around 1992 or 1993, but most people push it to around 2000 or even as late as 2005. 

[Frodo]

What's the cutoff between the millennial generation and whatever is the one to come after it? 2000?

Way too late.

Should be somewhere around 1992 or 1993, but most people push it to around 2000 or even as late as 2005.  

That's roughly around 18 years if you count from the early 1980s -about the same span of time that demographers use when determining the cut-off for the Baby Boomers (~1947-65).

If it were up to you, how would you determine the cut-off for them (the Baby Boomers)?  

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Obviously people born in the new millennium should not be considered millennials.

[Del Tachi]

I'd say something like this -

Boomers; 1943 - 1959
X'ers; 1960 - 1976
Millennials; 1977 - 1992
New Silent; 1993 -

[Antonio the Sixth]

The wind of history blowing away the last remnants of reactionarism.

[Cassius]

The wind of history blowing away the last remnants of reactionarism.

As I'm sure the Jacobins said when...

...



Oops...

[Antonio the Sixth]

The wind of history blowing away the last remnants of reactionarism.

As I'm sure the Jacobins said when...

...



Oops...

Indeed, because Restoration ended up so well for the French royalty.

[Padfoot]

What's the cutoff between the millennial generation and whatever is the one to come after it? 2000?

To me the two defining characteristics for the millennial generation have been the spread of the internet in the mid 90s and the experience of 9/11 in 2001.  If you neither of those things occurred while you were a kid/teen (7-17) then you aren't a millennial.  So I would say the millennial generation roughly covers the birth years of 1978-1994.  I think people born in the mid 80s are the "truest" millennials because we experienced both of the above events while we were in the 7-17 age range.

 

[muon2]

What's the cutoff between the millennial generation and whatever is the one to come after it? 2000?

To me the two defining characteristics for the millennial generation have been the spread of the internet in the mid 90s and the experience of 9/11 in 2001.  If you neither of those things occurred while you were a kid/teen (7-17) then you aren't a millennial.  So I would say the millennial generation roughly covers the birth years of 1978-1994.  I think people born in the mid 80s are the "truest" millennials because we experienced both of the above events while we were in the 7-17 age range.

 

The upswing in births is a better marker for the start, and that would be in 1982-83. Very few sociologists would end it as soon as 1994. Some have suggested that the end point can't yet be determined since one needs data on the young adult population to make that call.