Cohort comparison · -64-year gap
Baby Boomers was born 1946–1964 and Generation Alpha 2010–2024, a gap of -64 years between the start of each cohort. In 2026 Baby Boomers is aged 62–80 and Generation Alpha is aged 2–16. The clearest difference is that Baby Boomers is defined by post-war prosperity and the birth spike while Generation Alpha is defined by the first generation born entirely in the 21st century.
Born between 1946 and 1964 during the post-war birth spike. Boomers hold roughly half of global wealth while making up about 14% of the population.
The cohort born between 2010 and 2024 — the first born entirely in the 21st century, and the first raised with touchscreens and algorithmic feeds from infancy.
Side by side
| Baby Boomers | Generation Alpha | |
|---|---|---|
| Birth years | 1946–1964 | 2010–2024 |
| Age in 2026 | 62–80 | 2–16 |
| Cohort size | ~1.15bn | ~2.0bn |
| Defining shift | Post-war prosperity and the birth spike | The first generation born entirely in the 21st century |
| Age in 2050 | 86–104 | 26–40 |
| Cohort length | 19 years | 15 years |
| Status | Closed | Closed |
Baby Boomers covers births from 1946 to 1964 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. Post-war prosperity and the birth spike defines the first; The first generation born entirely in the 21st century defines the second.
In 2026, Baby Boomers is 62–80 and Generation Alpha is 2–16.
Baby Boomers is ~1.15bn and Generation Alpha is ~2.0bn.
There is no boundary between these two directly unless they are adjacent cohorts. Boundaries are conventions set by McCrindle Research, not official definitions, and other frameworks draw them a year or two apart.
Other comparisons