Generation X - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

During the 1980s and 1990s, in which Gen Xers would have been teenagers or young adults, the United Kingdom was politically marked by conservative Thatcher-era government followed by the more centrist tenures of John Major (1990–1997) and Tony Blair (1997–2007). Important news topics at that time included the Northern Ireland Peace Process, the Death of Diana, Princess of Wales (1997), and increasing European integration (Maastricht Treaty) and discussion over switching the currency to the Euro.

London newspaper The Guardian cited Generation X birth years as falling between 1965 and 1982 and referred to it as the "'me generation' of the Eighties." The Telegraph cited Generation X birth dates as falling into a longer time span (1965–1985), whilst the The Independent estimated an earlier range of birth dates (1963–1978) compared to other writers or researchers. A BBC News article about a lack of "mid-career volunteers" in their 20s provided a Generation X age range, which, in 2007, would suggest birth years that fall between 1962 and 1982.