We’re at a key point in the influence of different generations on our society. We now have four sizeable and culturally quite distinct cohorts co-existing, as the chart below shows. It’s easy to miss this point when we discuss our national demographic profile, because we tend to focus on how the population is ageing. That is undoubtedly true – but it’s also vital to understand that the current old are still dying out, and they have very different values and attitudes to our future old.

In his book The Pinch, David Willetts talks about how we’re at a point of “generational equipoise” , where the median person is around 40 years old and can expect to live to 80. We’re also at a point of balance between generations – and changes in how much each makes up of the population are driving significant shifts in the national balance of opinion.

Ipsos MORI is starting a major programme of work focusing on these generational differences, and the implications they have for public policy and politics.

You can download our report introducing the approach with some background and examples.

For more information contact Bobby Duffy.