From hula hoops to hearing aids: Oldest baby boomers turn 80 in 2026, contributing to an aging US

The oldest baby boomers — once the vanguard of an American youth that revolutionized U.S. culture and politics — turn 80 in 2026.

The generation that twirled the first plastic hula hoops and dressed up the first Barbie dolls, embraced the TV age, blissed out at Woodstock and protested the Vietnam War — the cohort that didn't trust anyone over age 30 — now is contributing to the overall aging of America.

Boomers becoming octogenarians in 2026 include actor Henry Winkler and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, singers Cher and Dolly Parton and presidents Donald Trump, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

America's population swelled with around 76 million births from 1946 to 1964, a spike magnified by couples reuniting after World War Two and enjoying postwar prosperity.

Boomers were better educated and richer than previous generations, and they helped grow a consumer-driven economy. In their youth, they pushed for social change through the Civil Rights Movement, the women's rights movement and efforts to end the Vietnam War.

“We had rock ‘n’ roll. We were the first generation to get out and demonstrate in the streets. We were the first generation, that was, you know, a socially conscious generation,” said Diane West, a metro Atlanta resident who turns 80 in January. “Our parents played by the rules. We didn’t necessarily play by the rules, and there were lots of us.”

As they got older they became known as the “me” generation, a pejorative term coined by writer Tom Wolfe to reflect what some regarded as their self-absorption and consumerism.

“The thing about baby boomers is they've always had a spotlight on them, no matter what age they were,” Brookings demographer William Frey said. “They were a big generation, but they also did important things."

By the end of this decade, all baby boomers will be 65 and older, and the number of people 80 and over will double in 20 years, Frey said.

The share of senior citizens in the U.S. population is projected to grow from 18.7% in 2025 to nearly 23% by 2050, while children under 18 decline from almost 21% to a projected 18.4%.

Without any immigration, the U.S. population will start shrinking in five years. That's when deaths will surpass births, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, which were revised in September to account for the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Population growth comes from immigration as well as births outpacing deaths.

The aging of America is being compounded by longer lives due to better health care and lower birth rates.

The projected average U.S. life expectancy at birth rises from 78.9 years in 2025 to 82.2 years in 2055, according to the CBO. And since the Great Recession in 2008, when the fertility rate was 2.08, around the 2.1 rate needed for children to numerically replace their parents, it has been on a steady decline, hitting 1.6 in 2025.

Women are having fewer children because they are better educated, they're delaying marriage to focus on careers and they're having their first child at a later age. Unaffordable housing, poor access to child care and the growing expenses of child-rearing also add up to fewer kids.

University of New Hampshire senior demographer Kenneth Johnson estimates that the result has been 11.8 million fewer births, compared to what might have been had the fertility rate stayed at Great Recession levels.

“I was young when I had kids. I mean that's what we did — we got out of college, we got married and we had babies,” said West, who has two daughters, a stepdaughter and six grandchildren. “My kids got married in their 30s, so it's very different.”

A recent Census Bureau study showed that 21st century young adults in the U.S. haven't been adulting like baby boomers did. In 1975, almost half of 25-to-34-year-olds had moved out of their parents' home, landed jobs, gotten married and had kids. By the early 2020s, less than a quarter of U.S. adults had hit these milestones.

West, whose 21-year-old grandson lives with her, understands why: They lack the prospects her generation enjoyed. Her grandson, Paul Quirk, said it comes down to financial instability.

“They were able to buy a lot of things, a lot cheaper,” Quirk said.

All of her grandchildren are frustrated by the economy, West added.

“You have to get three roommates in order to afford a place," she said. "When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us. And now, people who have master's degrees are going to work fast food while they look for a real job.”

The aging of America could constrain economic growth. With fewer workers paying taxes, Social Security and Medicare will be under more pressure. About 34 seniors have been supported by every 100 workers in 2025, but that ratio grows to 50 seniors per 100 working-age people in about 30 years, according to estimates released last year by the White House.

When West launched her career in employee benefits and retirement planning in 1973, each 100 workers supported 20 or fewer retirees, by some calculations.

Vice President JD Vance and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are among those pushing for an increase in fertility. Vance has suggested giving parents more voting power, according to their numbers of children, or following the example of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán in giving low-interest loans to married parents and tax exemptions to women who have four children or more.

Frey said programs that incentivize fertility among U.S. women hardly ever work, so funding should support pre-kindergarten and paid family leave.

“I think the best you can do for people who do want to have kids is to make it easier and less expensive to have them and raise them,” he said. “Those things may not bring up the fertility rate as much as people would like, but at least the kids who are being born will have a better chance of succeeding.”

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Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social

Donna West and her grandson Paul Quirk embrace during an interview, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Donna West and her grandson Paul Quirk pose for a photo, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Donna West and her grandson Paul Quirk pose for a photo, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Donna West sits with her grandson Paul Quirk as they speak to a reporter, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors forward Draymond Green had a heated exchange with coach Steve Kerr in the huddle during a third-quarter timeout Monday night and then went to the locker room on his own to cool down.

Kerr said even once Green returned to the bench for the finish of Golden State's 120-97 win against the Orlando Magic he wasn't going to play again after what happened.

“We got into it obviously and I took the timeout just because I thought we lost our focus there a little bit,” Kerr said. “We had it out a little bit and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Everything is private. I've got nothing further to add.”

Green contributed nine points and seven rebounds in nearly 18 minutes after being ejected early in the second quarter Saturday against Phoenix for consecutive technicals.

“Tempers spilled over and I just thought it was best that I get out of there,” Green said. “I don't think there was a situation where it was going to get better so it was just best to remove myself. That's it.”

Green said he was available to play again but it wasn't his decision — and he had stiffened up by then, too.

“I thought I owed it to my teammates to be there. I'm not going to quit on my teammates,” he said.

Golden State's 15-15 record is hardly what this group expected at this stage, and Green noted “that's probably why tempers are flaring.”

“Basketball, it's what we do,” he said of what caused the frustration. “We play basketball, it's an emotional game. People lose their emotions sometimes, it happens.”

He said of leaving for the locker room, “I just thought that was best for me” and afterward he felt a responsibility to speak with the media “for sure.” Assistant coach Anthony Vereen accompanied Green.

Stephen Curry said his observation was Kerr and Green “just having a good conversation."

"That's kind of for them to talk about, not me," the star guard said.

Curry said there were positive, winning vibes in the locker room after a nice win and “I'm pretty sure we know how to be professional.”

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said Green “was a great teammate on the bench” after coming back.

“It’ll get figured out,” Podziemski said.

Asked if he thinks the issue will linger, Kerr said: “No."

“The group's ready to go, you could see in the game tonight," he explained. "We need Draymond. He's a champion. We've been together for a long time. All we can do is the rest of the group keep pushing, keep getting better. I thought this was one of our better games. I thought the first half was brilliant — we just didn't make shots. I thought Draymond played great."

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, center, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) is fouled by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells at the referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)