Generation Alpha includes those born from 2010 onwards and who have therefore grown up in a fully digital world.
That is why the generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024.
Researchers and popular media use the early 2010s as starting birth years and the early-to-mid 2020s as ending birth years (see Date and age range definitions). Named after alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet, Generation Alpha is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century and the third millennium.
What years are Gen Z? Gen Z spans from 1997 to 2012, meaning anyone born within those years belongs to this generation. According to Pew Research, the cutoff represents major political, economic and social events that set Gen Z apart from Millennials.
Members of Generation Z were born between 1997 to 2012 according to the Pew Research Center. Generation Z follows members of Generation Y, more commonly known as millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996.
What is the difference between Gen Z and Gen Alpha? Generation Z (also known as the iGeneration, Zoomers, or Centennials) refers to those with birth years between 1995 and 2010. Generation Alpha encompasses those born between 2010 and 2025.
A member of Gen Z is anyone born between 1996 and the early-mid 2000s (end date can vary depending on source). In the U.S., there are approximately 90 million members of Gen Z, or “Gen Zers.”
Most sources list the age range for the Gen Y demographic cohort between 1981 and 1997, though it can vary. The Pew Research Trust lists the birth date range as being from 1981 to 1996. William Strauss and Neil Howe, authors who coined the term “Millennials,” list the birth date range as being between 1982 and 2004.
Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years. Most members of Generation Z are children of Generation X or younger Baby Boomers. The older members may be the parents of the younger members of Generation Alpha.
The average human born in 1980 can expect to live for 63 years. Gen Alphas born in 2020 have a global average life expectancy of 73 years — 16% longer than their Millennial parents.
The average life expectancy of baby boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z are different. Compared to the 70-year life expectancy of baby boomers and the 85-year life expectancy of Gen X, Gen Z is predicted to have a life expectancy of over 100 years.
In 2024, by McCrindle's definition, the last of Generation Alpha will be born, making way for Generation Beta, whose birth years will span from 2025 to 2039.
Generation Alpha includes those born from 2010 onwards and who have therefore grown up in a fully digital world. In fact, their appearance coincides with the launch of the first iPad by Apple.
So it follows that Generation Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039. If the nomenclature sticks, then we will afterwards have Generation Gamma (the children of Generation Alpha) and Generation Delta, but we won't be getting there until the second half of the 21st century!
Gen Z: Gen Z is the newest generation, born between 1997 and 2012. They are currently between 9 and 24 years old (nearly 68 million in the U.S.)
We generally figure three or four generations to every 100 years — in rare instances only two, in others five. The average span from one generation to the next is about 25 to 30 years. In the space of 350 years, you can estimate that there will be roughly 12 generations.
The Time article used birth dates of 1923 to 1933 for the generation, but the term somehow migrated to the later years currently in use. A reason later proposed for this perceived silence is that as young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of the Silent Generation felt it was unwise to speak out.
Millennials and Gen Z are less enthusiastic about having children than their parents. The reasons are many: financial, social, and biological, along with the preference among younger generations for “freedom.” America's falling fertility rates have been a cause for concern for several decades.
GENERATION Y OR THE MILLENNIALS: DIGITAL NATIVES
The revolution was shaped by the millennials or generation Y. Also known as digital natives, millennials are those born between 1982 and 1994 and technology is part of their everyday lives: all their activities are mediated by a screen.
It's a term we use to describe people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection, and community. It's not an age group; it's an attitude and mindset defined by key characteristics. 80% of millennials are made up of Gen C, YouTube's core (though by no means only) audience.
Baby Boomers (circa 1946 to 1964) Generation X (circa 1965 to 1980) Millennial Generation (circa 1981 to 1996) Gen Z (post-Millennial) (circa 1997 to 2012)
Generation Z, also called Gen Z, zoomers, iGeneration, centennials, post-millennials, or Homelanders, term used to describe Americans born during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Generation Z refers to the generation born between 1997-2012, following millennials. Gen Z will soon become the largest cohort of consumers—and brands who want a piece of this opportunity will need to understand their tendencies and digital expectations.