Generation X, often shortened to Gen X, is a demographic cohort that follows the baby boomers and precedes the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s as ending birth years, with the generation being generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. By this definition and U.S. Census data, there are 65.2 million Gen Xers in the United States as of 2019.
Gen Xers grew up in a time of shifting societal values and were sometimes called the "latchkey generation," which stems from their returning as children to an empty home and needing to use the door key. This was a result of increasing divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce prior to.
Some characteristics of Generation X include:
- They were born between the mid-1960s and about 1980.
- They are the children of the Silent Generation and early boomers.
- They are often the parents of millennials and Generation Z.
- They grew up in a time of shifting societal values.
- They were sometimes called the "latchkey generation".
- They are sometimes considered to be forgotten or overlooked when the generations are discussed.
Overall, Generation X is a demographic cohort that follows the baby boomers and precedes the millennials. They were born between the mid-1960s and about 1980 and grew up in a time of shifting societal values.
