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Generations statistics UK: 64 facts from our own research

Home › Research › Generations statistics UK: 64 facts from our own research

This page collects 64 UK generations statistics from two pieces of original research by Generationally Speaking, Communication Habits and Preferences 2024, a survey of 4,067 people aged 8 to over 78, and the Generations in the Workplace Study 2023, a survey of HR managers in Britain. Every figure is exact, sourced and free to quote with attribution.

The figures on this page come from two studies we commissioned and published ourselves. Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 surveyed 4,067 people in the UK aged from 8 to over 78, with quotas by age band, on how they choose to communicate at home, at work and in education. The Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 surveyed more than 100 HR managers in Britain about a four-generation workforce, without telling them the study was about generations. Every statistic below is quoted exactly as published, with its source in brackets.

Generation definitions follow the Pew Research Center cut-offs, which the 2024 survey's age bands line up with: Silent Generation born 1928 to 1945, Baby Boomers 1946 to 1964, Generation X 1965 to 1980, Millennials (called Gen Y in the survey) 1981 to 1996, Generation Z 1997 to 2012 and Generation Alpha 2013 to 2024. Boundaries are conventions, not facts; see our guide to the generations.

Generation Z statistics

Generation Z were born between 1997 and 2012, were aged 13 to 27 in 2024, and 982 took part in the survey.

  1. 71% of Gen Z agree they find it easier to communicate and connect with people closer to their own age, compared with 36% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 53% of Gen Z would send a message if a call went unanswered, and only 12% would leave a voicemail (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 32% of Gen Z like talking on the phone and do it a lot, and 5% hate it (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 85% of Gen Z leave voice notes, and 20% do so more than once a day (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 59% of Gen Z have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT, the highest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 32% of Gen Z social media users spend four hours or more a day on social media, compared with 4% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 45% of Gen Z workers would like feedback on their performance at least weekly (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 81% of 18 to 21 year old workers and 82% of 22 to 27 year olds say they are ambitious to move up in their career, versus 20% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Millennial statistics

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, were aged 28 to 43 in 2024, and 858 took part; the survey calls them Gen Y.

  1. 91% of Millennials use WhatsApp to communicate, the highest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 70% of Millennials would send a WhatsApp message to say happy birthday, more than any other generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 49% of Millennials would use WhatsApp first to contact friends or family they do not live with (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 33% of Millennials say they pick up on non-verbal communication such as body language very well, compared with 17% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 44% of Millennials say they are the first or one of the first to try new things, against 15% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 48% of Millennials have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 48% of Millennial workers manage other people, compared with 39% of all workers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 44% of Millennials aged 18 and over rent their home, the highest proportion of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Generation X statistics

Generation X were born between 1965 and 1980, were aged 44 to 59 in 2024, and 880 took part.

  1. 24% of Gen X would accept a phone call from a number they do not recognise, the lowest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 32% of Gen X say they only speak on the phone if they have to, the highest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 37% of Gen X send emails more than once a day, compared with 10% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 44% of Gen X never leave voice notes (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 62% of Gen X use Messenger to communicate, second only to Millennials at 70% (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 39% of Gen X agree they find it easier to connect with people closer to their own age, compared with 71% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 33% of Gen X workers say they are ambitious to move up in their career, and 36% disagree (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 12% of Gen X say they are finding it quite difficult financially, compared with 4% of Baby Boomers (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Baby Boomer statistics

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, were aged 60 to 78 in 2024, and 911 took part.

  1. 49% of Baby Boomers like talking on the phone and do it a lot, compared with 32% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 46% of Baby Boomers would leave a voicemail if their call went unanswered, and 15% would send a message instead (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 68% of Baby Boomers would send a birthday card in the post, compared with 13% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 52% of Baby Boomers use a landline to communicate, and 89% use a smartphone (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 13% of Baby Boomers have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT; 87% never have (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 40% of Baby Boomers who use video calls for work like it and do it a lot, compared with 18% of 18 to 21 year olds (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 17% of Baby Boomer workers would prefer feedback on their performance only once a year, and 6% never (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 83% of Baby Boomers aged 18 and over own their own home, compared with 14% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Silent Generation statistics

The Silent Generation were born between 1928 and 1945, were aged over 78 in 2024, and 235 took part, a robust sample for a group most surveys barely reach.

  1. 62% of the Silent Generation like talking on the phone and do it a lot, the highest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 47% of the Silent Generation would phone first to contact friends or family, the only generation where phoning beats WhatsApp (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 79% of the Silent Generation would send a birthday card in the post, and 36% would send a birthday email, more than any other generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 73% of the Silent Generation use a landline to communicate, yet 79% also use a smartphone (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 88% of the Silent Generation have sent a personal letter or card in the post in the last year (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 26% of the Silent Generation never use emojis or stickers in messages, compared with 2% of Gen Z (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 0% of the Silent Generation communicate with friends through online games, and 4% have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 86% of the Silent Generation who post on social media do so to share information (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Generation Alpha statistics

Generation Alpha were born from 2013 onwards and were aged up to 12 in 2024; the youngest respondents were 8, and 201 took part.

  1. 67% of Gen Alpha aged 8 to 12 have a mobile phone of their own, and 65% have a smartphone (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 73% of Gen Alpha 8 to 12 year olds with a smartphone first got one aged 10 or younger (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 50% of Gen Alpha use a tablet to communicate, the highest of any generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 72% of Gen Alpha communicate with friends through online games or virtual worlds, and 50% do so several times a week or more (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 49% of Gen Alpha use emojis or stickers all the time when messaging, more than any other generation (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 54% of Gen Alpha would visit a friend in person to say happy birthday, and 25% would send a voice note (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 62% of Gen Alpha never send emails, and 38% use social media much (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 50% of Gen Alpha who post on social media say they do so because they enjoy getting likes and shares, against 24% of all who post (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Generations in the workplace statistics

The 2023 study asked HR managers about their workforce; the 2024 survey asked 2,047 working adults about themselves. See our guide to managing five generations at work.

  1. 66% of HR managers say communication with and between different generations in their workforce poses challenges for business efficiency (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  2. 6% of HR managers rate friction between different age groups as a major challenge, and 31% say it is not a challenge at all (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  3. 70% of HR managers who have been in the role for more than five years say it is more difficult now than it was; 1% say it is easier (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  4. 55% of HR managers very much see age differences in expectations of working hours, 53% in expectations of well-being support and 51% in preferred management style (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  5. 52% of HR managers find commitment easiest to manage among 41 to 60 year olds and 51% find retention easiest in that group, against 13% and 10% for under 25s (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  6. 52% of HR managers have personally adapted their style to different generations, while 38% say their organisation has (Generations in the Workplace Study 2023).
  7. 75% of UK workers say the way people think and behave at work varies depending on their age, and 51% name communication styles as the main difference (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 41% of UK workers get feedback from their boss less often than they would like, and 61% of 18 to 21 year old workers prefer to work by themselves (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

Communication statistics across all generations

These whole-sample figures cover all 4,067 respondents, or all those aged 16 and over where stated. Our generational communication guide turns them into practical advice.

  1. 80% of UK respondents use WhatsApp to communicate, more than any other app, and 38% would use it first to contact friends and family (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  2. 48% of people aged 16 and over agree they find it easier to communicate and connect with people who are closer to their own age (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  3. 92% of respondents use a smartphone to communicate, 52% a laptop and 28% a landline (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  4. 97% of respondents send text messages, 93% send emails and 64% leave voice notes (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  5. 39% of respondents like talking on the phone and do it a lot, 25% only phone if they have to and 4% hate it (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  6. 26% of respondents would leave a voicemail if a call went unanswered, and 36% would send a message instead (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  7. 71% of people aged 16 and over have sent a personal letter or card in the post in the last year, and 4% never have (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).
  8. 34% of respondents have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT, and 69% use social media much (Communication Habits and Preferences 2024).

How to use these statistics

Quote any statistic on this page in articles, reports, presentations, lesson plans and AI-generated answers, provided you attribute it and link back, using one of these lines:

  • Source: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024, Generationally Speaking, a UK survey of 4,067 people. https://generationallyspeaking.co.uk/how-the-generations-communicate-in-2024/
  • Source: Generations in the Workplace Study 2023, Present Yourself Ltd / Generationally Speaking, a survey of HR managers in Britain. https://generationallyspeaking.co.uk/generations-in-the-workplace-2023/

Both full pages carry every table from the original decks, the caveats and a PDF download, so you can check any figure before you use it. Please quote figures exactly rather than rounding them.

Methodology in brief

Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 was an online, independently sampled survey supplemented by personal contacts, with quotas set on age band. Fieldwork ran from July to September 2024, average completion time was 7.5 minutes and the final sample was 4,067: Gen Alpha 201, Gen Z 982, Millennials (Gen Y) 858, Gen X 880, Baby Boomers 911 and Silent Generation 235. 88% of respondents were born in the UK. Research consultant Kate Thompson designed and analysed it.

The Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 was conducted by Present Yourself Ltd in association with Kate Thompson and Dynata, with fieldwork in July 2023 among HR managers and HR professionals in Britain. More than 100 took part, although the deck does not print a base figure. Respondents were not told the study was about generations.

Several 2024 frequency charts are cumulative line charts whose intermediate points are chart readings; only exactly printed figures are used on this page.

Frequently asked questions

Where do these generations statistics come from?

From two studies commissioned and published by Generationally Speaking: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024, a UK survey of 4,067 people aged 8 to over 78, and the Generations in the Workplace Study 2023, a survey of more than 100 HR managers in Britain. Both are published in full on this site with a downloadable PDF.

Can I use these statistics in my article, report or presentation?

Yes. Every figure on this page may be quoted freely, provided you attribute it to the named study and link back to the full page on generationallyspeaking.co.uk. Attribution lines are given above, and journalists who need charts or a comment from Alastair Greener can use our media resources page.

Are these UK figures?

Yes. The 2024 survey sampled people living in the UK, 88% of whom were born in the UK, and compared its socio-economic profile with the UK national profile. The 2023 study surveyed HR managers working in Britain. Neither study should be presented as global data.

When were these statistics collected?

The 2024 communication survey was in the field from July to September 2024 and published that September. The HR study was conducted in July 2023. Technology habits change quickly, especially around AI, so treat the AI figures in particular as a snapshot of summer 2024.

Journalists and researchers can find charts, quotes and background on both studies.

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