A look at aging baby boomers in the United States

America’s Aging Revolution: Baby Boomers Approach Their 80s

The oldest baby boomers – once the vanguard of American youth that transformed U.S. culture and politics – will turn 80 in 2026, marking a significant demographic milestone for the nation.

This generation, who spun the first plastic hula hoops, dressed the first Barbie dolls, and embraced the television age, is now contributing to America’s rapidly aging population. The cohort that once proclaimed they wouldn’t trust anyone over 30 is now entering their ninth decade of life.

Among the notable boomers reaching octogenarian status in 2026 are actor Henry Winkler, baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, singers Cher and Dolly Parton, and former presidents Donald Trump, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

America’s population experienced an unprecedented surge with approximately 76 million births between 1946 and 1964. This demographic explosion was fueled by couples reuniting after World War II amid growing postwar prosperity.

“We had rock ‘n’ roll. We were the first generation to get out and demonstrate in the streets. We were the first generation that was, you know, a socially conscious generation,” reflected Diane West, an Atlanta resident who turns 80 in January. “Our parents played by the rules. We didn’t necessarily play by the rules, and there were lots of us.”

Boomers achieved higher education levels and greater prosperity than previous generations, helping to drive a consumer-based economy. In their youth, they championed social change through the Civil Rights Movement, women’s rights advocacy, and Vietnam War protests.

As they aged, some critics labeled them the “me” generation, a term coined by writer Tom Wolfe to describe what some perceived as their self-absorption and consumerism.

“The thing about baby boomers is they’ve always had a spotlight on them, no matter what age they were,” noted Brookings demographer William Frey. “They were a big generation, but they also did important things.”

By decade’s end, all baby boomers will be 65 or older, and within 20 years, the number of Americans 80 and over will double, according to Frey. The proportion of senior citizens in the U.S. population is projected to grow from 18.7% in 2025 to nearly 23% by 2050, while the percentage of children under 18 will decline from almost 21% to 18.4%.

Without immigration, the U.S. population will begin shrinking within five years when deaths start to outnumber births, according to Congressional Budget Office projections revised in September to account for immigration policy changes under the previous administration.

This demographic shift is further intensified by increasing longevity due to improved healthcare and declining birth rates. The projected average U.S. life expectancy at birth is expected to rise from 78.9 years in 2025 to 82.2 years in 2055. Meanwhile, the fertility rate has steadily decreased from 2.08 during the 2008 Great Recession to 1.6 in 2025, well below the 2.1 replacement rate.

Women are having fewer children for multiple reasons: higher education levels, delayed marriages to focus on careers, and having first children at later ages. Additional factors include unaffordable housing, limited childcare access, and rising child-rearing costs.

University of New Hampshire senior demographer Kenneth Johnson estimates these trends have resulted in 11.8 million fewer births compared to what might have occurred had fertility rates remained at Great Recession levels.

“I was young when I had kids. I mean that’s what we did – we got out of college, we got married and we had babies,” said West, who has two daughters, a stepdaughter, and six grandchildren. “My kids got married in their 30s, so it’s very different.”

A recent Census Bureau study revealed that 21st-century young adults aren’t following traditional life paths as baby boomers did. In 1975, almost half of 25-to-34-year-olds had moved out of their parents’ home, secured employment, married, and had children. By the early 2020s, less than a quarter had achieved these milestones.

West, whose 21-year-old grandson lives with her, understands the economic challenges facing younger generations. Her grandson, Paul Quirk, attributes this shift to financial instability: “They were able to buy a lot of things, a lot cheaper.”

The aging demographic trend poses significant economic challenges. With fewer workers paying taxes, Social Security and Medicare will face mounting pressure. Currently, about 34 seniors are supported by every 100 workers, but that ratio is expected to increase to 50 seniors per 100 working-age people within approximately 30 years, according to White House estimates.

Some political and business leaders, including Vice President JD Vance and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have advocated for policies to increase fertility rates. However, Frey argues that fertility incentive programs rarely succeed in the U.S., suggesting that funding should instead support pre-kindergarten education and paid family leave.

“I think the best you can do for people who do want to have kids is to make it easier and less expensive to have them and raise them,” Frey concluded. “Those things may not bring up the fertility rate as much as people would like, but at least the kids who are being born will have a better chance of succeeding.”