pewsocialtrends.org | Generations

Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST

Getting old isn't nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good. On aspects of everyday life ranging from mental acuity to physical dexterity to sexual activity to financial security, a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey among a nationally-representative sample of 2,969 adults finds a sizable gap between the expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported by older adults themselves.

Most Middle-Aged Adults Are Rethinking Retirement Plans

Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

In the midst of a recession that has taken a heavy toll on many nest eggs, just over half of all working adults ages 50 to 64 say they may delay their retirement -- and another 16% say they never expect to stop working.

Different Age Groups, Different Recessions

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

Older adults are living through what for them has been a kinder, gentler recession -- relatively speaking. They are less likely than younger and middle-aged adults to say that in the past year they have cut back on spending; suffered losses in their retirement accounts; or experienced trouble paying for housing or medical care.

McDonald's and Starbucks: 43% Yin, 35% Yang

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST

In the smackdown between Big Macs and caffe lattes, Americans manage to typecast themselves by just about every demographic and ideological characteristic under the sun.

Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

America's baby boomers are in a collective funk. Members of the large generation born from 1946 to 1964 are more downbeat about their lives than are adults who are younger or older, according to a new Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey.

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Americans feel stuck in their tracks. Most survey respondents say that in the past five years, they either haven’t moved forward in life (25%) or have fallen backward (31%) -- the most downbeat assessment in nearly half a century of polling by the Pew Research Center and the Gallup organization. But at the same time, two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had.

U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

If current trends continue, immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants will account for 82% of the population growth in the United States during this period, according to new projections from the Pew Research Center. The nation's racial and ethnic mix will change markedly by mid-century, the projections show, with the Hispanic share rising to 29%. Among non-Hispanic race groups, the Asian share will rise to 9%, the non-Hispanic black share will hold steady at 13% and the non-Hispanic white share will fall to 47%. The nation's elderly population (ages 65 and above) will more than double in size from 2005 to 2050 and by mid-century will make up 19% of the total population.

A Portrait of Generation Next

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST

A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.

Baby Boomers: From the Age of Aquarius to the Age of Responsibility

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 00:00:00 EST

As the oldest of the nation's 75 million baby boomers approach the age of 60, a Pew Research Center survey finds many are looking ahead to their own retirement while balancing a full plate of family responsibilities - either raising minor children or providing financial and other forms of support to adult children or to aging parents.