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How Generation X is quietly driving trillions in consumer spending

For years, Gen X has been dubbed “the forgotten generation” in media, policy, and even marketing campaigns. Skipped over or bundled in with Boomers or Millennials, this small but mighty generation has quietly become the engine of global consumer spending. This report will show why the next decade represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to capture Gen X loyalty and lifetime value.

✓  This report is a global analysis of Gen X consumer behavior and spending trends, based on proprietary NIQ and World Data Lab data.
 
✓  It follows our groundbreaking generational report, Spend Z, and continues our mission to decode and predict generational spending patterns worldwide, arming both manufacturers and retailers with the data they need to maximize growth. 
 
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Did you know Gen X (aged 45-60) is entering its peak spending years?

In 2025 alone, Gen X consumers will drive $15.2 trillion (USD) in global spending. Between now and 2033, this cohort will be the highest-spending generation (per capita).

Our new global report, produced in collaboration with NIQ, examines key growth areas, as well as country and regional differences, in Gen X’s spending priorities over the next 10 years. It also identifies specific actions manufacturers and retailers can take to win this generation’s loyalty and earn more share of wallet.

Gen X is not a transitional generation; it’s your present-day profit center. If you fail to prioritize them now, you’re not just missing a moment — you’re risking a decade of loyalty and lifetime value.
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Why you can’t afford to overlook Gen X

  • While Boomers still dominate in net worth, Gen X is second, and gaining.
  • Gen Xers are currently in their peak expenditure years (ages 45–60).
  • Gen X has emerged as the “caretaker consumers” simultaneously caring for children, aging parents, and their households.
  • Gen X will spend $15.2 trillion in 2025. If you treated them as their own “country,” they would form the world’s second-largest consumer market, second only to the US and roughly 2x the size of China’s current spending. And that number will only keep climbing: By 2035, global Gen X spending will reach $23 trillion.
  • Gen X will lead global consumer spending from 2021 through 2033. In high-income markets, Gen X will take the lead later but hold it longer, from 2026 through 2036.

Download the Report

Fill out the form below to download The X Factor: How Generation X is quietly driving trillions in consumer spending

If you're interested in accessing NIQ’s underlying consumer data or tools, please contact NIQ directly for more information.