The post-World War II baby boom generation has had a profound effect on public policy and society at large. At each stage of the life cycle, this generation has changed the demand for public services. The social and policy phenomena associated with the baby boom result from a complex interaction of the sheer number of people in this generation and the coincident occurrence of important events and developments in society and the economy as a whole. This paper presents background information about the baby boom generation, its characteristics, how it compares to other generations, and factors affecting this cohort.