A new generational chapter is set to begin in 2025 with the arrival of Generation Beta, a group of individuals born between 2025 and 2039. According to demographer Mark McCrindle, who has helped define generational labels, Generation Beta will follow Generation Alpha (2010–2024) and will grow up in a world vastly different from what we know today.
By 2035, Generation Beta is expected to make up 16% of the global population and will likely live to see the 22nd century. They will carry with them the children of millennials and older generation Z parents, and will be left with the world around us being effected by rapid technological developments, shifting society’s norms, and an upsurge towards sustainability.
A World Fully Integrated with Technology
One of the hallmarks of Generation Beta will be their seamless interaction with both physical and digital worlds. Uniting with the 2023 Global Consumer Trends report on the theme of Freedom, McCrindle predicts that this bunch is destined to witness artificial intelligence and automation as part of everyday life. AI algorithms will do things so much, including learning to shopping and interacting socially, to personalize their experience according to their individual preference.
The space is expected to further accelerate personalization to an all new extent in this hyper connected environment. For Generation Beta, education, entertainment, and even healthcare will be curated through advanced technology, offering a level of customization we can only imagine today.
Challenges Facing Generation Beta
Despite the promising advancements in technology, Generation Beta will face significant societal challenges. Their lives will be affected by climate change: including the rising global temperatures, natural disasters and resource scarcity occurring more and more often. Such rapid changes are to occur quickly in living environments around the globe as a result of urbanization.
In addition, there will be unique challenges from a global population in flux. As older generations age, younger generations like Generation Beta will bear the responsibility of adapting to new workforce dynamics and addressing global population imbalances.
A Focus on Sustainability and Global Citizenship
As the children of eco-conscious millennials and Gen Z parents, Generation Beta is expected to grow up with a strong emphasis on sustainability. They will be more globally minded, more community focused and more collaborative generation than they have been before. You can bet that they’ll get lessons on environmental stewardship, diversity and the value of global cooperation during their upbringing.
McCrindle thinks the emphasis on convenience will not be the only innovation the company promotes. For Generation Beta, technological advancements will be viewed as tools to solve pressing global challenges, from renewable energy solutions to addressing food security and water scarcity.
How Will Generation Beta Differ from Gen Alpha?
While Generation Alpha grew up as digital natives, Generation Beta will take this a step further by living in a world where the boundaries between physical and digital spaces are nearly indistinguishable. Second nature will be their interactions with technology, and AI will be a huge part of their formative years.
Another defining factor for Generation Beta will be their collaborative spirit. This new cohort is unlike previous generations’ who may place more importance on individualism, but will instead place more emphasis on teamwork and community driven solutions, influenced by the challenges and values that their parents instilled in them.
Shaping the Workforce of the Future
By 2035, Generation Beta will make up 19% of the global workforce, bringing a fresh perspective to industries worldwide. Both their adaptability to technology and their tilt towards innovation are most likely to fundamentally change how businesses are run. From AI-driven work environments to remote collaboration, Generation Beta will thrive in a workspace that emphasizes flexibility and creativity.
They will also focus on sustainability and it will affect corporate practices too. As both employees and consumers, Generation Beta will demand transparency, ethical practices, and environmentally friendly solutions from the organizations they engage with.
