1981 — 1996
Millennials
Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are the generation that came of age with the commercial internet, and are now the parents of most of Generation Alpha.
In one sentence
Millennials, also called Generation Y, are the cohort born from 1981 to 1996. They number roughly 1.9 billion and are the parents of most of Generation Alpha.
Birth years
1981–1996
Age in 2026
30–45
Cohort size
~1.9bn
Age in 2050
54–69
What shaped them
- The commercial internet arrived during their adolescence.
- The 2008 financial crisis hit at career entry.
- Housing became structurally less affordable across their peak buying years.
- They are the first generation to parent digital natives while being digital natives themselves.
Traits people report
- Later on every traditional milestone than the generation before.
- Higher education levels, lower relative wealth.
- Comfortable across analogue and digital.
- Highly attentive parenting style compared with Gen X.
Generational traits describe averages across hundreds of millions of people. They are useful for planning, useless for judging any individual child.
Frequently asked
What years are Millennials?
Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996 under Pew Research Center's definition, which this site uses. McCrindle's Generation Y runs from 1980 to 1994.
Are Millennials Gen Y?
Yes. Generation Y is the older name for the same cohort.