Baby Boomers Edged Out by Echo Boomers

As more and more of the Baby Boomers age into the sixty five and over demographics, the face of the United States could change drastically. In 2011, when the first, and largest, wave of Boomers hit the age of 65, it was a turning point in the way that the United States will deal with “Seniors”. Around 77 million strong, Baby Boomers are driving the U. S. toward the demographics that define Japan, Germany and Italy, where around 20% of the population is over the age of 65. By the year 2056, the number of those 65 and over is expected to outnumber those 18 and under. America is graying and the Boomer generation has been driving everything from products to politics since their arrival on the scene in 1946. However, recent information indicates that the Echo Boomers, in essence the children of the Baby Boomers, will become the largest generation in 2015. Echo Boomers are generally considered to be those born in the 1980sand 1990’s, which encompasses the Y generation and Millennial, although some experts also include Generation X in the mix and extend the Echo Boom years to the early 1970s.

By the 2025 to 2030, the Baby Boom generation is still projected to be 60 million strong, but it is the Echo Boomers that are currently expected bend the current population demographics. As modern medicine works its wonders and the life expectancy climbs, close to 25% of the population is expected to be 65 or older by the half century. Currently, 3 in 10 children are helping a parent over the age of 65 in some capacity but those numbers are only half of number of children that help aging parents in Japan, Germany and Italy. With the “silver boom” gaining speed, Echo Boomers will likely be caught in the tailwind, both benefiting from their pioneering parents and sandwiched between two generations.