TL;DR: Find your birth year in the chart below. For example, 1990 = Millennial, 2000 = Gen Z, 2015 = Gen Alpha, 1975 = Gen X.
Generation chart
| Birth years | Generation |
|---|---|
| 1901–1927 | Greatest Generation |
| 1928–1945 | Silent Generation |
| 1946–1964 | Baby Boomers |
| 1965–1980 | Gen X |
| 1981–1996 | Millennials |
| 1997–2012 | Gen Z |
| about 2013–2024/25 | Gen Alpha |
| about 2025–2039 | Gen Beta |
Quick lookup
| Born in… | You are… |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Millennial |
| 1995 | Millennial (Zillennial) |
| 1998 | Gen Z |
| 2005 | Gen Z |
| 2010 | Gen Z (some say Gen Alpha) |
| 2014 | Gen Alpha |
Why charts differ
Researchers use slightly different cut-offs – see What Years Are Gen Z? Gen Z Birth Years Explained.
Every generation at a glance
The chart above uses the definitions most researchers and media rely on: Pew Research Center for Baby Boomers to Gen Z, and McCrindle Research for Gen Alpha and Gen Beta. Different organisations sometimes shift the boundaries by a year or two, especially around cusp years such as 1980–1981, 1996–1997 and 2010–2012.
What shaped each generation
- Greatest Generation (1901–1927): the Great Depression and World War II.
- Silent Generation (1928–1945): growing up during war and post-war rebuilding.
- Baby Boomers (1946–1964): post-war prosperity, TV and big social movements.
- Gen X (1965–1980): personal computers, MTV and more independent childhoods.
- Millennials (1981–1996): the arrival of the internet and mobile phones.
- Gen Z (1997–2012): smartphones, social media and streaming. See What Is Gen Z? Birth Years, Age Range, Traits & Facts.
- Gen Alpha (about 2013–2024/25): tablets, voice assistants and AI. See What Comes After Gen Z? Generation Alpha Explained.
- Gen Beta (about 2025 onward): growing up in a world where AI is everywhere.
Ages of each generation in 2026
| Generation | Age range in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Baby Boomers | 62–80 |
| Gen X | 46–61 |
| Millennials | 30–45 |
| Gen Z | 14–29 |
| Gen Alpha | about 1–13 |
Why generational labels are useful (and their limits)
Labels help researchers, teachers and businesses understand broad patterns – how people communicate, work or shop. But they are generalisations. Two people born in the same year can have very different lives depending on country, family, income and personality. Use generation labels as a starting point for curiosity, not as a box. For name origins, see Generation Names and Years: Silent Generation to Gen Alpha.
