Editing Generation X (section)

===United States===
[[File:US living adult generations.png|thumb|U.S. living adult generations]]
There are differences in Gen X population numbers depending on the date-range selected. In the U.S., using [[United States Census|Census]] population projections, the Pew Research Center found that the Gen X population born from 1965 to 1980 numbered 65.2&nbsp;million in 2019. The cohort is likely to overtake Boomers in 2028.<ref name="2020Overtake"/> A 2010 Census report counted approximately 84&nbsp;million people living in the US who are defined by birth years ranging from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.<ref name="U.S. Census">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Age and Sex Composition: 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626032751/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2011 |url-status=live|publisher=U.S. Census|access-date=12 September 2013|page=4|date=11 May 2011}}</ref> 

In a 2012 article for the [[Joint Center for Housing Studies]] of [[Harvard University]], George Masnick wrote that the "Census counted 82.1&nbsp;million" Gen Xers in the U.S. Masnick concluded that immigration filled in any birth year deficits during low fertility years of the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref name="Masnick">{{cite web|url=https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/defining-the-generations-redux/|title=Defining the Generations|last=Masnick|first=George|date=28 November 2012|publisher=Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies|access-date=23 April 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329234230/https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/defining-the-generations-redux/|url-status=live}}</ref> Jon Miller at the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the [[University of Michigan]] wrote that "Generation X refers to adults born between 1961 and 1981" and it "includes 84 million people".<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Jon|title=The Generation X Report: Active, Balanced, and Happy: These Young Americans are not Bowling Alone|url=http://lsay.org/GenX_Rept_Iss1.pdf|publisher=Longitudinal Study of American Youth – University of Michigan|access-date=29 May 2013|page=1|date=Fall 2011|archive-date=28 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128113321/http://lsay.org/GenX_Rept_Iss1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In their 1991 book ''Generations'', authors Howe and Strauss indicated that the total number of Gen X individuals in the U.S. was 88.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite book|last=William Strauss|first=Neil Howe|title=Generations|year=1991|publisher=Harper Perennial|location=New York|isbn=978-0-688-11912-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/generationshisto00stra_0/page/318 318]|url=https://archive.org/details/generationshisto00stra_0/page/318}}</ref>

====Impact of family planning programs====
[[File:US Live Births Registered and Legal Abortions Reported 1970-1980.png|thumb|upright=1.1|U.S. Live Births Registered and Legal Abortions Reported 1970–1980]]
The [[birth control pill]], introduced in 1960, was one contributing factor of declining birth rates. Initially, the pill spread rapidly amongst married women as an approved treatment for menstrual disturbance. However, it was also found to prevent pregnancy and was prescribed as a contraceptive in 1964. "The pill", as it became commonly known, reached younger, unmarried college women in the late 1960s when state laws were amended and reduced the [[age of majority]] from 21 to ages 18–20.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Golding and Katz|first=Claudia & Lawrence|date=August 2002|title=The Power of the Pill: Oral Contraceptives and Women's Career and Marriage Decisions|journal=Journal of Political Economy|volume=110|issue=4|pages=730–770|doi=10.1086/340778|jstor=10.1086/340778|s2cid=221286686|url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:2624453}}</ref> These policies are commonly referred to as the Early Legal Access (ELA) laws.

Another major factor was [[abortion]], only available in a few states until its legalisation in a 1973 US Supreme Court decision in ''[[Roe v. Wade]].'' This was replicated elsewhere, with [[Timeline of reproductive rights legislation|reproductive rights legislation]] passed, notably in the UK (1967), France (1975), West Germany (1976), New Zealand (1977), Italy (1978), and the Netherlands (1980). From 1973 to 1980, the abortion rate per 1,000 US women aged 15–44 increased from 16% to 29% with more than 9.6&nbsp;million terminations of pregnancy practiced. Between 1970 and 1980, on average, for every 10 American citizens born, 3 were aborted.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stanley K|first=Henshaw|date=2008|title=Trends in the characteristics of women obtaining abortions, 1974 to 2004|url=https://www.guttmacher.org/report/trends-characteristics-women-obtaining-abortions-1974-2004-supplemental-tables|journal=Alan Guttmacher Institute|access-date=18 June 2020|archive-date=14 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614065016/https://www.guttmacher.org/report/trends-characteristics-women-obtaining-abortions-1974-2004-supplemental-tables|url-status=live}}</ref> However, increased immigration during the same period of time helped to partially offset declining birth-rates and contributed to making Generation X an ethnically and culturally diverse demographic cohort.<ref name="Adweek">{{cite magazine|last1=Klara|first1=Robert|title=5 Reasons Marketers Have Largely Overlooked Generation X|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/5-reasons-marketers-have-largely-overlooked-generation-x-170539|access-date=19 June 2016|magazine=Adweek|date=4 April 2016|archive-date=1 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201061147/http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/5-reasons-marketers-have-largely-overlooked-generation-x-170539|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cohort confusion">{{cite news|last1=Markert|first1=John|title=Demographics of Age: Generational and Cohort Confusion|url=http://www.sitemason.com/files/dW3ABy/articledemographics%20of%20age.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915033316/http://www.sitemason.com/files/dW3ABy/articledemographics%20of%20age.pdf |archive-date=15 September 2012 |url-status=live|access-date=19 June 2016|publisher=Journal of Current Issues in Research & Advertising|date=Fall 2004}}</ref>

====Parental lineage====
Generally, Gen Xers are the children of the [[Silent Generation]] and older Baby Boomers.<ref name="Gordinier" />