Ranked: The World’s Population by Generation
Description
Ranked: The World’s Population by Generation
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Key Takeaways
- Almost half of humanity (47%) is Gen Z or Gen Alpha.
- Millennials and Gen X make up most of the global working-age population, while Boomers and older represent just 15%.
- With Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha making up nearly 70% of the population, the global workforce, economy, and social dynamics will see rapid transformation in the coming years.
As of December 2024, the global population has reached 8.2 billion. For the first time in history, nearly half of humanity belongs to Generation Z and Generation Alpha—the digital-native generations.
This visualization ranks the world’s population by generation, showing how age cohorts are distributed across the planet. The data for this graphic comes from We Are Social, IntelPoint, and the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024. Generation Beta (born 2025–2039), representing less than 1% of the population, is not shown in the graphic because of limited data.
Gen Alpha Becomes the Largest Generation
Generation Alpha, born between 2013 and 2025, now includes roughly 2.0 billion people, or 24.4% of the world’s population. Many of them are still in primary school, but they already outnumber every other generation.
Their demographic weight will increasingly shape consumer markets, education systems, and technology trends in the coming decades. The countries driving this growth are concentrated in Africa and South Asia, where birth rates remain high.
| Generation | Birth Years (Approx.) | Current Age (2025) | Population (Billion) | % of Total Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Alpha | 2013 – 2025 | 0 – 12 | 2.0B | 24.4 % |
| Generation Z | 1997 – 2012 | 13 – 28 | 1.9B | 22.9 % |
| Millennials (Gen Y) | 1981 – 1996 | 29 – 44 | 1.7B | 21.2 % |
| Generation X | 1965 – 1980 | 45 – 60 | 1.4B | 16.7 % |
| Baby Boomers | 1946 – 1964 | 61 – 79 | 1.1B | 12.8 % |
| Silent Generation + Older | ≤ 1945 | 80 + | 167M | 2.0 % |
| Total | – | – | 8.2B | 100 % |
Gen Z and Millennials Dominate the Workforce
Gen Z (ages 13–28) and Millennials (ages 29–44) together account for 44% of all people—and most of the world’s workers. Millennials alone make up 1.7 billion people.
The Aging Populations of Boomers and the Silent Generation
At the upper end of the age spectrum, Baby Boomers (ages 61–79) represent about 12.8% of the population, while those 80 or older—the Silent Generation and older cohorts—make up just 2%.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing America’s Wealth Distribution by Generation on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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