1965–1980
Gen X Age Range
Generation X, or Gen X, is commonly defined as people born from 1965 through 1980. It sits between Baby Boomers and Millennials. In 2026, the oldest members of Gen X turn 61 and the youngest turn 46.
As of 2026, Gen Xers are between 45 and 61 years old.
What years are Gen X?
Pew Research Center and much of the academic research use 1965 through 1980. Other definitions differ by a year or more at each end: Strauss and Howe use 1961–1981, the Brookings Institution uses 1965–1981, and Statistics Canada uses 1966–1980.
Gen X is smaller than the generations on either side of it. Pew counted about 65.2 million members of Gen X in the U.S. in 2019, compared with 71.6 million Boomers and 72.1 million Millennials.
Gen X ages by birth year
The age each birth year reaches in 2026 (on their birthday this year):
| Born in | Turns this year |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 61 |
| 1966 | 60 |
| 1967 | 59 |
| 1968 | 58 |
| 1969 | 57 |
| 1970 | 56 |
| 1971 | 55 |
| 1972 | 54 |
| 1973 | 53 |
| 1974 | 52 |
| 1975 | 51 |
| 1976 | 50 |
| 1977 | 49 |
| 1978 | 48 |
| 1979 | 47 |
| 1980 | 46 |
Where the name came from
"Generation X" had been used for earlier groups of young people, including a 1964 British book about teenagers and the late-1970s punk band fronted by Billy Idol. The modern meaning comes from Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, about young adults drifting through the late 1980s. The "X" suggested a generation that resisted being defined.
What shaped Gen X
- Latchkey childhoods. Rising divorce rates and more mothers working outside the home meant many Gen X children let themselves in after school. Gen X is sometimes called the latchkey generation.
- The MTV generation. MTV launched in 1981, when Gen X members were roughly 1 to 16, and music videos became part of growing up.
- Personal computers. Home computers and video game consoles arrived in the late 1970s and 1980s, so Gen X was the first generation to grow up with computers in homes and schools.
- The end of the Cold War. Gen X grew up under the threat of nuclear war and saw the Berlin Wall fall in 1989.
People born at the end of the range, from about the late 1970s to the early 1980s, are sometimes called Xennials.
Gen X compared with Baby Boomers and Millennials
| Generation | Birth years | Current ages | Grew up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Boomers | 1946–1964 | 61–80 | Television |
| Generation X | 1965–1980 | 45–61 | Personal computers and cable TV |
| Millennials | 1981–1996 | 29–45 | The rise of the internet |
Gen X FAQ
What years are Gen X?
The most common definition, used by Pew Research Center, is 1965 through 1980.
Is someone born in 1980 Gen X or a Millennial?
Under Pew's definition, 1980 is the last Gen X year. Some researchers start the Millennial generation in 1980, so you will see both answers.
Is someone born in 1965 Gen X or a Boomer?
1965 is the first Gen X year. The Baby Boom ended with people born in 1964.
Why is it called Generation X?
Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel Generation X popularized the name. The X suggested a generation that did not want to be labeled.
Baby Boomers
See the generation before Gen X.
Millennials
See the generation after Gen X.