Research from the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, based on approximately 8,000 participants aged around 50 from the 1970 British Cohort Study, has found that Generation X is experiencing “worse physical and mental health across adulthood than earlier-born generations.”
The study indicates that only 41% of the 1970 cohort rated their health as excellent or very good. This contrasts with 50% of the 1958 cohort who gave similar ratings when surveyed in 2008, at a comparable age in their early 50s.
Furthermore, the 1970 cohort reported higher rates of certain health conditions. Nine percent reported having diabetes, compared to 6% of the 1958 cohort, and 32% were obese, compared to 26% of the earlier group. Generation X participants also reported more symptoms of psychological distress.
The study used self-reported health data. A recent US study also suggested that Generation X is the only generation currently consuming more alcohol than before the Covid-19 pandemic, with researchers theorising this could be a stress-related consequence.
Demographic shifts mean many Gen Xers are in a “triple-decker sandwich” of caregiving responsibilities: 56% have adult children at home, and 34% with children under 18 are also caring for ageing parents. Another UCL study from 2024 found that while boomers are living longer, they are doing so in poorer health than their parents, experiencing more chronic disease.