The iconic paradigm of the Babe Boom generation is a 1960s-era snapshot of an exuberant, long-haired, rebellious young developed. That portrait wasn't entirely accurate even so, but it's hopelessly out of date now. This famously huge cohort of Americans finds itself in a funk as it approaches old age.

On Jan 1, 2011, the oldest Babe Boomers will plow 65. Every solar day for the next 19 years, near 10,000 more will cross that threshold. By 2030, when all Baby Boomers will have turned 65, fully 18% of the nation'south population volition exist at to the lowest degree that historic period, co-ordinate to Pew Inquiry Center population projections. Today, just xiii% of Americans are ages 65 and older.

Perched on the front stoop of old age, Babe Boomers are more downbeat than other age groups about the trajectory of their own lives and about the direction of the nation as a whole.

Some of this pessimism is related to life cycle – for most people, middle age is the nigh demanding and stressful time of life.1 Some of the gloominess, yet, appears to be particular to Boomers, who divisional onto the national phase in the 1960s with loftier hopes for remaking order, but who've spent nearly of their adulthood trailing other age cohorts in overall life satisfaction.

At the moment, the Baby Boomers are pretty glum. Fully fourscore% say they are dissatisfied with the manner things are going in the country today, compared with 60% of those ages eighteen to 29 (Millennials); 69% of those ages 30 to 45 (Generation Xers) and 76% of those 65 and older (the Silent and Greatest Generations), according to a Pew Research Heart survey taken before this month.

Boomers are also more than downbeat than other adults most the long-term trajectory of their lives – and their children'south. Some 21% say their own standard of living is lower than their parents' was at the age they are now; among all non-Boomer adults, but fourteen% feel this way, according to a May 2010 Pew Research survey. The same survey found that 34% of Boomers believe their own children will not enjoy as good a standard of living every bit they themselves have now; by contrast, just 21% of not-Boomers say the same.2

The 79 million fellow member Babe Boomer generation accounts for 26% of the total U.Due south. population. By strength of numbers alone, they virtually certainly will redefine old age in America, merely as they've made their mark on teen culture, young adult life and middle age.

But don't tell Boomers that quondam age starts at 65. The typical Boomer believes that erstwhile age doesn't begin until age 72, according to a 2009 Pew Research survey. Nigh half of all American adults say they feel younger than their actual age, merely fully 61% of Boomers say this. In fact, the typical Boomer feels nine years younger than his or her chronological age.3

On a range of social problems, Baby Boomers are more accepting of changes in American culture and mores than are adults ages 65 and older, though generally less tolerant than the immature. On matters related to personal finances, economical security and retirement expectations, they experience more damaged past the Great Recession than do older adults.

Boomers are latecomers to the digital revolution, but are beginning to close their gadget and social media gap with younger generations. For instance, among younger Boomers (ages 46-55), fully half now utilize social networks, compared with 20% in 2008. That rate of growth is more than rapid than for younger generations. Besides, more than half (55%) of older Boomers (ages 56-64) now sentinel online video, compared with 30% in 2008.

On the political front, Boomers—like the nation as a whole – accept done some partisan switching in recent years. They narrowly favored Obama for president in 2008 (by 50%-49%), and so supported Republican congressional candidates by 53%-45% in the 2010 midterm elections, according to election mean solar day exit polls. In their cadre political attitudes nigh the part of authorities, they're more conservative than younger adults and more liberal than older adults, according to a comprehensive 2010 Pew Research report on long term trends in political values past generation.

In 1970, when the oldest of the Baby Boomers were in their early 20s, the total publicly held national debt was about $283 billion, or near 28% of the Gross Domestic Product. Now, every bit the oldest Boomers approach historic period 65, the federal debt is an estimated $nine trillion or 62% of GDP – creating IOUs that members of younger generations may be paying downwardly for decades.four

Even so, a new Pew Research survey finds little appetite amid Boomers for deficit reduction proposals that would take a bite out of their own pocketbooks. For case, 68% of Boomers (compared with 56% of all adults) oppose eliminating the tax deduction for interest paid on habitation mortgages; lxxx% (compared with 72% of all adults) oppose taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits; and 63% (compared with 58% of all adults) oppose raising the age for qualifying for full Social Security benefits.5

The Pew Research Center has a deep annal of piece of work that analyzes the demographics, economics, religious beliefs and practices and social and political values of the Baby Boomer generation, and makes comparisons with younger and older U.S. age groups. Our survey piece of work includes questions about family life, personal finances, technology use, aging and a range of other topics.

When asked about the assortment of changes transforming American family life, the Boomers' views align more closely with younger generations than older ones. For example, Boomers, similar younger adults, are far more likely to say the master purpose of marriage is mutual happiness and fulfillment rather than child-raising (lxx% of Babe Boomers and Millennial young adults say so, compared with 50% of adults ages 65 and older).

When asked whether children face up "a lot more challenges" growing up with divorced parents, racially mixed parents or unmarried parents, Baby Boomers and younger adults are less probable to say yes than are adults ages 65 and older.

However, despite the reputation they gained as young adults for favoring alternative lifestyles, Baby Boomers today are less accepting than younger Americans of aforementioned-sexual activity couples raising children, unmarried couples living together and other non-traditional arrangements—though they are more tolerant of them than are adults ages 65 and older.

When information technology comes to divorce, the Baby Boomers are less conservative than younger generations: 66% say divorce is preferable to staying in an unhappy marriage, compared with 54% of younger adults who say and then.

Despite differences by generations on these and other matters, a plurality 43% of Baby Boomers say in that location is less generational conflict at present than in the 1960s and 1970s, when they were coming of historic period.

Personal Finances and Economic Views

Economically, Boomers are the most likely amid all age groups to say they lost coin on investments since the Peachy Recession began. Baby Boomers also are the most likely (57%) to say their household finances have worsened. And a higher share of Boomers than older Americans (simply not younger ones) say they accept cutting spending in the past year.

Amid those Infant Boomers ages 50 to 61 who are budgeted the end of their working years, six-in-10 say they may have to postpone retirement. According to employment statistics, the older workforce is growing more rapidly than the younger workforce.

Technology and News

In their use of applied science, the youngest Infant Boomers (ages 45-55) are nearly every bit likely to be online (and to have a home broadband connection) equally younger adults, and the oldest Boomers (ages 56-64) are notably more probable to exist online than adults ages 65 and older.

Well-nigh two-thirds of Boomers say they follow the news virtually or all of the fourth dimension, a higher share than among younger adults.

Organized religion

By standard measures such equally the share who pray daily or frequency of attention religious services, Baby Boomers are less religious than adults ages 65 and older but more religious than adults in younger generations.

Amongst Baby Boomers, 43% say they are a "stiff" fellow member of their religion, a higher share than among younger adults and a lower share than among older ones. Four-in-ten say they nourish religious services at least in one case a week. Conversely, 13% say they have no religious affiliation, less than younger adults but more than than older adults.

Baby Boomers: Explore Pew Inquiry Surveys and Reports

Beneath are hyperlinks to Pew Inquiry Heart publications from recent years that include data specifically most Baby Boomers. In some cases, they include data on adults ages 50 to 64, a range that includes nearly only not all Baby Boomers. In other cases, the research breaks the Babe Boomer generation into younger and older historic period groups.

Social Behaviors and Values

  • The Decline of Matrimony and Ascension of New Families: Survey of attitudes on whether union is becoming obsolete; single mothers, same-sexual practice couples and other non-traditional arrangements; importance of family; what's best for children.
  • The Return of the Multi-Generational Family Household: Share living in multi-generational households.
  • Xl Years After Woodstock, A Gentler Generation Gap: Views on generation gap, musical preferences, knowledge near Woodstock festival.
  • Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality: Views past historic period group on what constitutes former age and the signs of old age; do you feel younger or older than your real age; has life turned out better or worse than expected; happiness.
  • As Marriage and Parenthood Migrate Autonomously, Public Is Concerned about Social Impact: Views nigh divorce, civil unions, premarital sex, purpose and importance of spousal relationship, children and marriage; profile of parents and divorced adults.
  • Public Back up for Legalizing Medical Marijuana. Back up for legalization of medical marijuana is as high amidst Boomers as younger adults, and higher than among older adults.

Economic system and Personal Finances

  • How the Cracking Recession Has Changed Life in America: Impact of recession on current finances, financial behavior and employment; views on personal fiscal future and national economy'south time to come.
  • Most Middle-Aged Adults are Rethinking Retirement Plans: Impact of recession on retirement plans of adults ages 50 to 64, which includes nearly Baby Boomers.
  • Different Age Groups, Different Recessions: Recession-related changes in spending and behavior, investment losses, investment confidence.
  • Luxury or Necessity: How the generations differ on what is a luxury or necessity, including such possessions as cell phones and televisions.
  • Inside the Centre Grade: Views on personal finances, grade, quality of life, comparisons with past and project into hereafter, personal financial problems, priorities in life, job satisfaction.

Miscellaneous

  • Millennials: Comparing of attitudes past generation on a wide diversity of topics, including personal values, technology use, media consumption, everyday life activities, religion, social and political values. A related interactive graphic compares the demographics of today's Millennials (ages xviii-28) with Boomers and two older generations when they were the same ages the Millennials are at present.
  • Blacks Upbeat most Black Progress, Prospects: Views of black Americans (by age group) on satisfaction, racial progress and values. Views on intermarriage, race discrimination and trust in police by race/Hispanic groups and age.
  • Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where's Dwelling? Ever-moved or always lived in hometown, years since last move, plans to movement, where is your true domicile, contact with home boondocks, why did you move to your current community or why do you stay in your dwelling town.
  • Men or Women: Who's the Meliorate Leader? An exploration of public attitudes about gender and leadership; comparisons of ratings of genders on qualities such every bit honesty and hard work; reasons for scarcity of top female leaders, views on discrimination, equal rights and which gender has the meliorate life.
  • Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation: Views on quality of life, standard of living, getting alee, optimism about the future, including long-term trends and comparisons of older and younger boomers.

The authors thank our Pew Inquiry Eye colleagues Daniel Dockterman, Carroll Doherty, Danielle Gewurz, Scott Keeter, Andrew Kohut, Lee Rainie and Wendy Wang for their aid.