baby boom

n.
A sudden, large, sustained increase in the birthrate, especially the one in the United States and Canada from the later 1940s through the early 1960s.

baby-boom ba'by-boom' (bā'bē-būm') adj.

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In the U.S., increase in the birth rate between 1946 and 1964; also, the generation born in the U.S. during that period. The hardships and uncertainties of the Great Depression and World War II led many unmarried couples to delay marriage and many married couples to delay having children. The war's end, followed by a sustained period of economic prosperity (the 1950s and early 1960s), was accompanied by a surge in population. The sheer size of the baby-boom generation (some 75 million) magnified its impact on society: the growth of families led to a migration from cities to suburbs in the postwar years, prompting a building boom in housing, schools, and shopping malls. As the "boomers" reached young adulthood in the 1960s and '70s, their tastes in music and their hair and dress styles strongly influenced the national culture, and the political activism of some contributed to the unpopularity of the Vietnam War. As they aged and prospered in the 1980s and '90s, their buying habits determined the course of many consumer industries, including automobiles. The needs of baby boomers during their retirement years were expected to strain public resources.

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baby boom, a period in which the birthrate is significantly higher than in other periods, especially the post-World War II period in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, the postwar baby boom was the largest demographic spike in the nation's history; more than 78 million Americans were born. Experts differ about the span of the U.S. baby boom, which the Census Bureau defines as 1946 to 1964; the number of births peaked in 1957. Some break the period into two sections: "Leading-edge Boomers" (1946-54) and "Generation Jones" (1955-65). Marriage and pregnancy were delayed during the 16 years that spanned the Great Depression and World War II. After the war, births went up precipitously as the average ages at which people got married and began having children both went down. The baby-boom years were also marked by an expanding economy, increased educational opportunities, and population shifts to the growing suburbs. The baby boom ended in the late 1960s and by the 1970s America's birthrate had declined to 1930s levels.

Baby boomers are the largest generation in U.S. history, and have had a profound effect on many of the country's political, economic, and cultural trends. Many boomers reached young adulthood during the 1960s and contributed to and were affected by the period's antiauthoritarian and alternative hallmarks, such as political and social activism and rock music. Boomers also are united by such factors as television (they were the first generation to grow up with the medium) and consumerism (they have tended to be voracious commercial consumers). Many baby boomers have struggled to achieve the standard of living enjoyed by their parents because the large size of their cohort has tended to diminish economic opportunity, but the generation as a whole is the richest in American history. In the 21st cent. aging baby boomers are expected to present a significant challenge to the U.S. healthcare industry, Medicare, and social security.

Bibliography

See P. C. Light, Baby Boomers (1990), N. A. Hamilton et al., Atlas of the Baby Boom Generation (2000), S. Gillon, Boomer Nation (2004); J. Goldsmith, The Long Baby Boom (2008)

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Cultural Movements, Events, and Institutions - baby boom: burst of population in generation born just after World War II

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For other uses, see Baby boom (disambiguation).

This article needs attention from an expert on the subject. See the talk page for details. WikiProject Demographics may be able to help recruit an expert. (January 2011)

A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women (or approximately 1% of the total population size).^{[citation needed]} People born during such a period are often called baby boomers; however, some experts distinguish between those born during such demographic baby booms and those who identify with the overlapping cultural generations. Conventional wisdom states that baby booms signify good times and periods of general economic growth and stability.^{[citation needed]}

United States

The term "baby boom" most often refers to the dramatic post–World War II baby boom (1946–1964). There are an estimated 78.3 million Americans who were born during this demographic boom in births.^[1] The term is a general demographic one and is also applicable to other similar population expansions.

United States birth rate (births per 1000 population).^[2] The United States Census Bureau defines the demographic birth boom as between 1946 and 1964^[3] (blue).

Recent baby boom periods include the following:

Post–World War II baby boom: Years of duration vary, depending on the source (e.g., 1943–1960,^[4] 1946–1964^[5]).
Echo baby boom (Millennial Generation): (1982–1995), the children of the post-WWII baby boomers.^[6]^[7]
2007 - 4.3 million babies were born in the U.S., breaking the record set for children born in 1957. Contributing to the record was the increase in childbearing women of all ages, and a record share of births to unmarried women.^[8]

Notes

^ "Baby Boom Population: U.S. Census Bureau, USA and by State". Boomers Life. 2008-07-01. http://www.boomerslife.org/baby_boom_population_us_census_bureau_by_state.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
^ CDC Bottom of this page http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/vsus.htm "Vital Statistics of the United States, 2003, Volume I, Natality", Table 1-1 "Live births, birth rates, and fertility rates, by race: United States, 1909-2003."
^ U.S. Census Bureau — Oldest Boomers Turn 60 (2006)
^ Strauss, William, & Howe, Neil (1992). Generations: The history of America's future, 1584 to 2069. Harper Perennial. pp. 324. ISBN 0688119123.
^ U.S. Census Bureau (January 3, 2001). "Oldest Baby Boomers Turn 60!". http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/006105.html. Retrieved August 3, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
^ Leung, Rebecca (2005-09-04). "The Echo Boomers". 60 Minutes (CBS News). http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/01/60minutes/main646890.shtml. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
^ Marino, Vivian (August 20, 2006). "College-Town Real Estate: The Next Big Niche?". The New York Times: pp. 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/realestate/commercial/20sqft.html?fta=y. Retrieved September 25, 2010. "College enrollments have been on the rise as the baby boomers’ children — sometimes known as the “echo boom” generation — come of age. This group, born from 1982 to 1995, is about 80 million strong."
^ Eckholm, Erik (March 18, 2009). "’07 U.S. Births Break Baby Boom Record". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/health/19birth.html. Retrieved September 15, 2009.

This final report appears to have replaced the dead link in Notes #5: http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p25-1138.pdf Experienced editors are welcome to make this fit standard formatting.

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baby boom

baby boom

baby boom

baby boom

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Baby boom

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