What Is a Baby Boomer?

By Matthew Frankel, CFP – Updated Dec 14, 2025 at 4:11 PM EST

Key Points

Baby boomers, born 1946-1964, are the largest generation in U.S. history transitioning into retirement.
Their retirement could slow the economy due to declining labor force and birth rates of succeeding generations.
Investment opportunities exist in healthcare and senior housing as demand increases with an aging population.

The baby boomer generation is the group of people born in the years after World War II as the world stabilized and birth rates soared. The largest generation in U.S. history, baby boomers are currently shifting from being part of the workforce to being part of the retired population. Here’s a rundown of who baby boomers are, where they fit in the context of the generations, and what it means in investing and finance.

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a graphic defining the term baby boomer — Image source: The Motley Fool

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As far as the comparative sizes of the generations, we obviously don’t know quite how large the youngest generations are just yet, since there isn’t a clear consensus yet on where Gen Z ends and Generation Alpha is still forming. However, using the year ranges in the table above, we know how baby boomers compare with other recent generations.

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Data source: Pew Research Center.

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About the Author

Matt Frankel, CFP, is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst and personal finance expert covering financial stocks, REITs, SPACs, and personal finance. Prior to The Motley Fool, Matt taught high school and college mathematics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in mathematics from Nova Southeastern University, and a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University. He won a SABEW award for coverage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He is also regularly interviewed by Cheddar, The National Desk, and other TV networks and publications for his financial, stock market, and investing expertise.

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