Cohort comparison · -51-year gap
Baby Boomers was born 1946–1964 and Generation Z 1997–2009, a gap of -51 years between the start of each cohort. In 2026 Baby Boomers is aged 62–80 and Generation Z is aged 17–29. The clearest difference is that Baby Boomers is defined by post-war prosperity and the birth spike while Generation Z is defined by the first cohort to reach adolescence with a smartphone.
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.
Born 1997–2009 on the boundaries used here, Gen Z is the last cohort with any memory of a pre-smartphone world and the first to reach adolescence on social media.
Side by side
| Baby Boomers | Generation Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Birth years | 1946–1964 | 1997–2009 |
| Age in 2026 | 62–80 | 17–29 |
| Cohort size | ~1.15bn | ~2.0bn |
| Defining shift | Post-war prosperity and the birth spike | The first cohort to reach adolescence with a smartphone |
| Age in 2050 | 86–104 | 41–53 |
| Cohort length | 19 years | 13 years |
| Status | Closed | Closed |
Baby Boomers covers births from 1946 to 1964 and Generation Z from 1997 to 2009. Post-war prosperity and the birth spike defines the first; The first cohort to reach adolescence with a smartphone defines the second.
In 2026, Baby Boomers is 62–80 and Generation Z is 17–29.
Baby Boomers is ~1.15bn and Generation Z 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.
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