Snapshot December 2017
Generations in Utah, 2016
This snapshot provides insights about generational groups Examining newer generations through a historical lens, Utah in Utah using data from the long term state and county experienced a boom of births in the early 1980s and a wave Projections produced by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.1 of migration in the 1990s which brought young adults to the state. The 1980s babies have grown up and are having their Within the context of this snapshot and larger public own children. The young adults who came to Utah in the 1990s conversations, generations are a combination of demographic also impacted births and in turn, the size of Generation Z. and sociological factors. The nomenclature typically used in these conversations (i.e. Baby Boomers, Gen X, or Millennials) Table 1: Generational Groups in Utah and the U.S., 2016 have been placed on populations that were born in a set time Share of Total Generational Groups Estimate frame and have a shared experience of certain historical events Population or significant developments in technology. Utah Generation Z 930,295 30.5% While definitions for older generations are more concrete, the Millennial 790,904 25.9% bounding years for Millennials and the following generation Generation X 631,037 20.7% are still being determined. The definitions below will be used within this snapshot, with the understanding that the final year Baby Boomers 511,824 16.8% of the Millennial generation may change in the future. Silent Generation 171,931 5.6% Greatest and Lost generations 18,814 .6% In this snapshot, generations are defined as:2 United States • The Greatest Generation - born between 1901 and 1927 Generation Z 73.6 M 22.8% • The Silent Generation - born between 1928 and 1945 Millennial 75.5 M 23.4% • The Baby Boom - born between 1946 and 1964 Generation X 69.9 M 21.6% • Generation X - 1965 to 1980 Baby Boomers 74.1 M 22.9% • Millennials - 1981 to 1998 Silent Generation 26.8 M 8.3% • Generation Z - 1999 to 2016 Greatest and Lost generations 3.1 M 1.0% Analysis of 2016 data shows that Generation Z was the largest Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute 2015-2065 State and County Projections; U. S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates generational group in Utah at 30 percent of the population. Division. The next largest group were the Millennials at 26 percent. Generation X came in third place with 21 percent. Baby Boomers were 17 percent and the generations born prior to 1945 were 6 percent. Nationally, Millennials are the largest share of the population at 23.4 percent. Baby Boomers are the second largest share at 22.9 percent, followed closely by Generation Z at 22.8 percent.
The differences between the state and national shares are a reflection of Utah's national ranking as the youngest state, lowest share of the population aged 65 and over, and higher than the national average fertility rate.
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute I 411 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 I 801-585-5618 I gardner.utah.edu AN INITIATIVE OF THE DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Figure 1: Utah Population by Generation, 2016 60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000 Silent Generation Greatest and Lost 20,000 (1928-1945) 171,931 Generations (before Generation Z Millennials Generation X Baby Boomers 10,000 1927) (1999-2016) (1982-1998) (1965-1981) (1946-1964) 18,814 930,295 790,904 631,037 511,824 - 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98
Age 100+ Source: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute 2015-2065 State and County Projections.
Figure 2: United States Population by Generation, 2016 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 Silent Generation Greatest and 2,500,000 (1928-1945) Lost 26,831,454 2,000,000 Generations (before 1,500,000 1927) Generation Z Millennials Baby Boomers 1,000,000 Generation X 3,105,447 (1999-2016) (1982-1998) (1965-1981) (1946-1964) 500,000 73,642,285 75,521,054 69,924,964 74,102,309 0 0 9 3 6 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 66 69 72 75 78 81 84 87 90 93 96 99 63
Greatest and Lost Silent Boomers GenX Millennials Gen Z Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Division.
Figure 3: Births in Utah with Generational Markers 60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000 Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials Generation Z - 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Source: Utah Department of Health.
Endnotes: 1. Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, 2015-2065 State and County Projections. 2. The definitions for The Greatest, Silent, Baby Boom, Generation X, and Millennial groups in this report are utilized by Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center does not include a generation after the Millennials in their definition. There are currently many different names being suggested for the generation following Millennials. Generation Z will be used for this snapshot.