There were roughly 78 million boomers.
This article says 20 million have died already but I am not seeing that elsewhere. I do see 1 million have died in some bar graphs.
What is the truth?
Oldest baby boomers are just turning 77. The youngest are just turning 59.
Here is the most sobering fact of all: Across the USA, almost 20 million baby boomers have already died. Yikes.
I would normally find that number to be amazing. How is it that a population with a life expectancy of 79, and with an oldest cohort of age 78, has already seen 20 million deaths out of a total population of 76 million?
But apparently it is probably true. Here is a source that says by 2012, nearly 11 million boomers had already died.
Of the 76 million baby boomers born, nearly 11 million had died by 2012
And here is a macabre “boomer death clock” that claims that 33% of boomers, or 28 million have already died.
Of course, upon further thought, if average life expectancy is 79 for boomers, then median is probably somewhere close to 79. And median literally means that half the group dies before that median age and the other half dies after that median age. So we should expect to see the 50% approach over the next 6-8 years. Astounding!
Here’s the latest Mortality Table from the IRS 2010CM (Excel format)
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/table-2010cm-proposed.xlsx
You have 89 million alive at 60, and about 62 million at age 78, about a 30% loss over 18 years. Note that’s a 2010 Table – pre-COVID.
intercst
One can find the number of births per year easily enough. 1946 through 1964 saw 75 million born in the US. The Census Bureau breaks the current population into age brackets. Looking at those aged 58 through 76:
58-59 8.8 (0.4 x 21.9) 60-64 20.9 65-69 17.6 70-74 13.9 75-79 3.6 (0.4 x 9.1) Sum 64.8 = 86%
This does not adjust for immigration and emigration. Somebody please check my math.
DB2
Here is a small snapshot: 85 already gone, that the reunion organizers know about, out of my high school class (1971) of 535.
Steve
My high school had its 50th reunion in 2014 and I was on the committee charged with finding everyone. Even then we were surprised how many had already died. Strange diseases, Vietnam, car accidents and more all popped up as causes. Don’t remember the exact number, but in a class of 235 it was pretty substantial, and that was a decade ago.
Mark, Yeah I totally get the definition of average. The odd thing is many reports are ignoring it.
The IRS has different numbers? @intercst That’s the problem.
A fair amount of boomers were taken out early.
Cigarette sales peaked in 1980.
Drinking and driving was much more prevalent then. And of course drug use too.
And 50,000 US dead from Vietnam War.
It all adds up.
Food and a lazy lifestyle are the culprits for most who have perished. Let’s be honest. Leads to heart disease and cancer potential for more people.
