What Is a Baby Boomer?
Baby boomer” is a term used to describe those who were born from 1946 to 1964. They formed the largest generational group in U.S. history until the millennial generation slightly surpassed them. The baby boomer generation makes up a substantial portion of the world’s population, especially in developed nations.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Several million baby boomers have died but immigration to the U.S. has helped replenish the supply.
“Baby boomer” refers to a member of the generation that was born between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s.
Baby boomers remain economically and politically influential because of their large numbers and the relative prosperity of the U.S. economy during their working careers.
Many are facing serious financial challenges, however, as more and more baby boomers reach retirement age.
Baby Boomer Facts and Figures
The generation of baby boomers emerged after the end of World War II when birth rates around the world spiked. The explosion of infants became known as the baby boom when 76 million babies were born in the United States alone.1
Several million baby boomers have died in the decades since but immigration to the U.S. has helped replenish the supply. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the baby boom population has reached about 73 million based on 2020 census data, the latest info available.2
Most historians say that the baby boomer phenomenon likely involved a combination of factors: people wanting to start the families that they’d put off during World War II and the Great Depression and a sense of confidence that the coming era would be peaceful and prosperous. The late 1940s and 1950s did indeed see a general increase in wages, thriving businesses, and an increase in the variety and quantity of products for consumers.
