100 Amazing Facts About Millennials

Millennials might just be the most studied generation in history—and also perhaps the most misunderstood. While they’ve gotten a lot of flak for killing off everything from mayonnaise and shopping malls to Big Macs and top sheets, they also might be changing that disastrous “one out of every two marriages will end in divorce” stat America has been dragging around. They also love libraries, really want to travel, think the internet is pretty cool, and have come up with some slang terms that are totes awesome. Here‘s what else you need to know about Millennials.

1. The term Millennial was coined in 1991.

In their 1991 book Generations, historians Neil Howe and William Strauss were the first to use the word Millennials to refer to this age group. They used the term because the first members of the cohort would graduate high school in the year 2000. 

2. Millennials were born from around 1981 to 1996.

The Pew Research Center defines a Millennial as someone born between 1981 and 1996. So while the word is sometimes still used as a catch-all term to describe only young people, some Millennials are now over 40.

3. Famous Millennials include Beyonce and Prince William.

That means some pretty surprising people are Millennials, including Beyonce, Prince William, Dwyane Wade, Aaron Rodgers, and Kim Jong-Un, to name a few. 

4. Millennials are probably the most-studied generation in history. 

In 2012, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation declared it’s likely that no other generation has been analyzed or scrutinized as intensely as Millennials. 

5. Alternate labels include “Echo Boomers” and “Gen Y.”

Millennials are sometimes called “Echo Boomers.” They’re typically the children of Baby Boomers, and the period in which Millennials were born saw a rise in the number of annual births as younger Boomers had kids of their own. This came on the heels of a dip in birth-rate in the preceding years. So Millennials are, in effect, an “echo” of the generation born between the mid-‘40s and mid-‘60s. The label “Gen Y” is sometimes used, too, because Millennials come after Gen X. 

6. They’ve been accused of “killing” many products.

Millennials have been accused of killing off a lot of things through their consumption habits. Here’s a totally incomplete list of items pulled from various articles: mayonnaise, shopping malls, paper napkins, the Big Mac, top sheets, fabric softener, bar soap, department stores, diamonds, beer, wine, the Toyota Scion, banks, the Canadian tourism industry, Applebee’s, oil, cereal, fashion, loyalty, marriage, and the American Dream. 

7. Many Millennials are “work martyrs.”

Millennials aren’t big on vacations. One 2016 survey found that nearly half of all Millennials were more than happy to be viewed as a “work martyr,” and feel guilty about using time off. A LinkedIn study found that about 16 percent of Millennials won’t ask for time off at all—it makes them too nervous. 

8. Millennials do say they’d like to travel. 

Surveys have found that most Millennials would rather travel than own a home.

9. They face many financial challenges.

You might have guessed what’s getting in the way of that travel: Millennials have a lot of financial struggles. They have less wealth than older generations did at the same age—the median net worth of a Millennial household in 2016 was just $12,500, while Gen X households had a median net worth of $15,100 during the same age range. 

10. Many Millennials are supported by their parents.

Merrill Lynch and Age Wave conducted a survey in 2019 and found that seven out of 10 adults ages 18 to 34 still received some sort of help from their parents, from having their bills paid to living at home for no or low rent. 

11. The average Millennial has around $28,000 of debt ….

It’s no wonder they’re turning to their parents for help—Millennials are in a lot of debt. Between student loans and credit cards, they have an average of almost $28,000 in debt. 

12. … And balances on their credit cards.

And according to one 2012 study, 52 percent report carrying balances on their credit cards [PDF].

13. Eighty-two percent of eligible Millennials contribute to a 401(k).

Millennials are looking forward to a debt-free future, though—and they’re acting on it. One Bank of America Merrill Lynch report from 2017 found that 82 percent of Millennials contributed to their employer-sponsored 401(k) plan—a higher rate than their Gen X or Baby Boomer counterparts. So despite their financial troubles, it seems they do value planning for the future. 

14. Millennials are more likely to make resolutions.

Another priority? Self-improvement. While many people don’t bother with New Year’s resolutions, one study found that 94 percent of Millennials make them—and 76 percent say they keep their resolutions. 

15. Millennials read an average of five books per year.

As of 2016, the American Millennial reads an average of five books a year. The general population only reads four, so they’re slightly ahead of the curve. 

16. Millennials are more inclined to visit libraries.

They’re also more likely than other generations to visit public libraries, possibly because they’re both budget-conscious and eco-conscious.  

17. Millennials prefer print. 

A survey of college students showed that if the price of a book was exactly the same on digital and paper, 80 percent would choose paper.

18. Everyone thinks Millennials are self-centered. 

So Millennials keep resolutions, they go to libraries—maybe they don’t deserve their bad rap. But they do seem pretty self-centered. Studies show that not only do other generations believe that Millennials are more narcissistic than other generations, Millennials believe that, too. 

19. Forty percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

They also believe in the value of higher education. About 40 percent of Millennials have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to about 30 percent of Gen Xers at the same age.

20. Fifty-five Millennials serve in the U.S. Congress.

You might be surprised to learn how many Millennials are currently serving in the United States Congress: 55 as of February 2023, compared to just five in 2017. 

21. Their voter turnout roughly doubled in four years.

And perhaps this makes sense—Millennials make up a continually growing share of the electorate. Election turnouts for U.S. Millennials almost doubled in four years, going from 22 percent of eligible voters in 2014 to 42 percent in 2018. The percentage of eligible Millennials who voted still lagged behind older generations, though—roughly in line with historical trends for any generation at that age. 

22. Millennials report high levels of stress.

The American Psychological Association’s 2019 Stress in America report found that U.S. Millennials rated their stress level a 5.4 on a scale of 1 to 10, compared to 4.2 for Boomers and 3 for what they call “older adults.”

23. They’re well represented in the workforce.

This generation has taken over the workforce. As of 2017, the last year this type of data was available, 56 million Millennials were working or looking for work. Comparatively, there were 53 million Gen Xers and 41 million Baby Boomers—and no doubt many Boomers have retired since then. 

24. Many have tried special diets.

In 2019, it was reported that nearly half of Millennials have tried a special diet, such as keto, in the previous year. Sixty percent were trying to incorporate more plant-based and unprocessed food into their diets.

25. Millennials are less healthy than Gen Xers were at the same age. 

Between 2014 and 2017, Blue Cross Blue Shield reported seeing a major jump in the prevalence of conditions like major depression and Type 2 diabetes among Millennials—the conditions affected 5 percent and 2.3 percent of Millennials, respectively, in 2017. 

Health differences among Gen X and Millennials were also stark. The rate of major depression and Type 2 diabetes for Gen Xers who were 34-36 in 2014 were 4.7 and and 3.4 percent, respectively, while Millennials aged 34-36 in 2017 clocked in at 5.6 and 4.1 percent for the conditions.

26. Millennials have a lot of anxiety. 

And so do Gen Zers, for that matter. A 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association found that young Americans (between the ages of 18 to 34) are reporting much higher stress levels than usual, with averaged self-reported stress levels at a six out of 10-point scale. Comparatively, that figure was at a 3.4 among people aged 65 and older.

Financial anxiety was one of the biggest issues for younger folks too: 67 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 to 34 and 63 percent between 35 to 44 claimed they felt “consumed” by worries over money. Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey also revealed that nearly half of all Millennials feel “burned out” at work.

27. Millennials are also perfectionists. 

One 2019 study of more than 41,000 American, Canadian, and British college students surveyed between 1989 and 2016 found that rates of perfectionism among young people have increased significantly over the last few decades. Researchers found that recent generations perceive that people are more demanding of them and of others, so they’re more demanding on themselves.

28. Millennials love the internet.

While they might not be as terminally online as many Gen Zers are, Millennials still spend a lot of time on the internet, with Statista reporting in 2021 that 98 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds use it regularly.

29. Millennials spend a lot of time on their smartphones.

According to the Pew Research Center, 97 percent of Americans between the ages of 30 and 49 own smartphones (as do adults aged 18 to 29). This is pretty significant compared to older generations: About 89 percent of those aged 50 to 64 own one, and the number declines even more (to about 76 percent) with Americans aged 65 or older.

30. They check their phones frequently... 

How often does the average Millennial unlock their phone? A 2018 report revealed that while Gen Z leads the pack with about 79 phone unlocks per day, Millennials were a not-too-distant second, averaging about 63. A 2023 survey by Reviews.org revealed that 73.40 percent of Millennials check their phones within five minutes of getting a notification.

31. … And that adds up to a lot of phone time.

On average, Millennials spend more time on their phones than Boomers or Gen Xers do—up to about 205 minutes per day. Not only that, but 42 percent of Millennials said they hadn’t gone more than five hours without checking their social media.

32. Minnesota is an increasingly Millennial state.

If you’re one of those people who shake your fists at Millennials, steer clear of Minnesota: The “Land of 10,000 Lakes” was recently named the best state for Millennials and has the second-highest homeownership rates for Gen Y in the country.

33. China is a Millennial hotspot. 

There are more Millennials living in China than there are people in the U.S.—as in, the whole U.S. population, all generations. More than 400 million, in fact. 

34. Roughly 21 percent of the U.S. population are Millennials. 

The Millennial population in the U.S., on the other hand, is about 72 million, surpassing the Boomer generation in terms of size to become the largest generation in the country. According to projections, the Gen Y population will peak in 2033 at about 74.9 million.

35. Gen Z has overtaken Millennials in total population. 

Bloomberg predicted that globally, Gen Zers would surpass Millennials by the end of 2019. Crunching data from the United Nations shows that, yes—around the world, Gen Z has surpassed Millennials. But in the U.S., Millennials still take the top spot.

36. Millennials believe in working remotely ...

Despite being extremely invested in their jobs, about half of Gen Y doesn’t think physical attendance in the office is necessary on a regular basis and would prefer to work remotely, according to a 2023 study by the job search site Joblist. Some even feel that Millennials are fueling the work-from-home boom.

37. … And prefer a strong work-life balance.

Nine to five? No thanks: Millennials tend to prefer flexible hours that give them the freedom to work early, late, or a combination thereof, and that promote a good work-life balance.

38. Millennials prefer collaboration at work.

Collaboration at work is the name of the game for Gen Y—not competition. Eighty-eight percent want teamwork and a collaborative environment at their jobs, according to pre-pandemic figures.

39. They’d prefer to spend money on experiences.

A 2023 report from credit reporting firm Experian revealed that 59 percent of Millennials would rather spend money on “life experiences” like concerts or travel than put away savings toward retirement.

40. ... But are very concerned about the cost of living.

Millennials might be willing to spend on experiences, but they’re still stressing over money. In 2023, an estimated 42 percent cited the cost of living as a major concern for them, and 52 percent revealed they live paycheck-to-paycheck.

41. Millennials shop online a lot.

Many Millennials prefer to shop online (over 27 percent) and tend to spend big in certain categories, like health and beauty, shoes and clothing, and electronic gadgets.

42. Their dress code is a topic of conversation.

According to a 2019 survey by Randstad US, a staffing firm, 38 percent of Millennials say that they’ve been “talked to” by management about dressing too casually.

43. Many Millennials are dressing too casually for interviews.

That casual approach can come through even in interviews: 75 percent of hiring managers believe the biggest mistake Millennials make in interviews is dressing too casually. 

44. Many won’t put up with a social media ban at work. 

When it comes to social media in the workplace, employers with strict policies against it are going to miss out on Millennial employees: In 2017, 56 percent said they wouldn’t take a job at a company that bans social media.

45. Seventy percent have friended co-workers on Facebook.

While keeping your work life and your online life totally separate was once the professional expectation, 70 percent of Millennials worldwide claimed to have friended their managers and/or co-workers on Facebook. That said, in post-pandemic times, Facebook has become increasingly unpopular with Millennials as a social media platform.

46. They’re more likely to share salary information.

Another topic that was once taboo that Millennials are bringing to light—their salaries. Sixty-three percent of Millennials have been candid about their paychecks with family members, 48 percent with friends, and 30 percent with coworkers. This is a huge jump from Boomers. Only 41 percent have shared that info with family, 21 percent with friends, and a paltry 8 percent with coworkers. 

47. They want to help their bosses—and older colleagues.

Seventy-six percent of Millennial workers believe they can help their bosses learn new things, and 65 percent of them think they should be mentoring older workers in areas like the use of technology.

48. Millennials tend to job hop ...

Gen Y has long had a reputation for job-hopping, usually in an effort to earn a higher salary and gain greater work-life balance. A 2022 survey by LinkedIn and CensusWide revealed that 66 percent of Millennials were considering a career change in the next year.

49. … And it costs a lot to replace them.

It behooves companies to keep their Millennial employees happy, because it costs about about $30.5 billion annually to replace them.

50. Millennials marry later in life, on average. 

A lot of Millennials are delaying marriage until later in life. In 1970, the average groom was 23 and the average bride was 20.8. These days, we’re looking at 29.5 and 27.4, respectively.

51. They marry after being in a relationship for  at least five years, on average.

Most Millennials aren’t rushing into anything. According to one 2017 British study, they’re in relationships for about 4.9 years before tying the knot. A 2018 eHarmony report found that the Millennials they surveyed dated for an average of 6.5 years before getting hitched.

52. Prenups are becoming more common.

And when Millennials do get married, they’re going into it rather cautiously—in 2019, it was reported that divorce lawyers saw that prenups going up across the board. Part of that may be due to the fact that couples are getting married later in life, which means they’re coming into the marriage with more of their own assets. Another theory is that the 2008 economic downturn has made Millennials more diligent about protecting themselves.

53. Millennials’ divorce rate is notably low.

Getting to know each other longer, getting married later in life, getting prenups—it all seems to be paying off, because the divorce rate among Millennials is significantly lower than it is for other generations. The rate has been steadily dropping since 2008, and in 2016, it was down by nearly 20 percent. Boomers, on the other hand, have unusually high divorce rates, even into their sixties and seventies, which is known as gray divorce. In fact, the divorce rate tripled for Americans 65 and older from 1990 to 2015.  

54. Some Millennials choose not to get married.

A whopping quarter of Millennials—25 percent—will probably never get married at all, according to a statistical analysis from the Pew Research Center.

55. They’re having kids later.

As you might suspect, all of this also means that Millennials are having kids later in life, or not at all. The birthrate in the U.S. has dropped, while at the same time there’s actually been an increase in the number of women over the age of 35 having babies. 

56. Millennials were once the largest share of the home-buying market. 

In 2018, Millennials represented 36 percent of home buyers—the fifth year in a row they took the top spot. But Baby Boomers ended their reign in 2022. According to Kiplinger, “Combined, younger boomers (ages 58 to 67) and older boomers (ages 68 to 76), made up 39 percent of homebuyers in 2022.”

57. They’re not interested in McMansions. 

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that large houses built before 2012 were sometimes selling at extremely steep discounts—up to 50 percent.

58. Many Millennials have buyer’s remorse.

Even after waiting extra long to purchase, a 2022 study found that 82 percent of Millennial homebuyers have buyer’s remorse due to spending too much on a down payment, underestimating maintenance costs, or settling for a home that wasn’t exactly what they wanted.

59. They have a specific aesthetic. 

And what do they want? Clean lines and open floor plans, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Minimalism is good—ornate Mediterranean and Tuscan-style decor is bad. 

60. Most Millennials have ditched landlines. 

One thing Millennials probably won’t have in their minimalist home? A landline. According to AARP, in 2020, 90 percent of adults between the ages of 25–34 did not have a landline and relied solely on cell phones.

61.  Many Millennials sleep by their phones.

In 2017, it was reported that 79 percent of Millennials keep those cell phones on or next to the bed while they’re sleeping at night (probably because they double as alarm clocks). 

62. Most Millennials think they’ll be millionaires.

In a study conducted by Magnify Money in 2019, 65 percent of Millennials surveyed believed they would be worth seven figures by the time they’re 45. A similar 2018 study by TD Ameritrade showed that more than half of Millennials expect to be millionaires within their lifetimes, and 4 in 10 expected it to happen by the time they turn 50. 

63. Most have a side gig or side business.

And while becoming a millionaire might represent a fair bit of wishful thinking, it may not be a total pipe dream: 37 percent of employed Millennials also have a side gig or business.

64. Millennials often monetize would-be hobbies. 

Hobbies? We don’t know her. Some research suggests that Millennials have a hard time developing hobbies that are 100 percent just for fun. The side-hustle economy means that Millennials end up monetizing what could have been a hobby—things like photography, writing, and woodworking.  

65. Many Millennial hobbies involve logging off electronics.

When Millennials do find a fulfilling hobby, it’s very often one that’s completely offline—which is a little contrary to the belief that we spend too much time with phones and screens. A Ypulse survey from 2019 found that music is the no. 1 hobby for Millennials, with sports coming in second. While gaming is no. 3 and TV or Netflix is no. 8, the rest of the top 10 is rounded out by pursuits that aren’t necessarily digital: reading, cooking and baking, fitness, art, crafting and dance. 

66. They aren’t huge baseball fans …

Here’s a hobby Millennials definitely aren’t flocking to: Watching baseball. In 2018, just 25 percent of Americans ages 21 to 34 said they were “somewhat” or “very interested” in the sport.

67. … But they are flocking to soccer. 

Especially young Millennials, who helped bring soccer into a virtual tie with basketball as the second-most popular sport in the nation among 18–34 year olds in 2014. One 2023 survey found that 22 percent of American Millennials said they were soccer fans.

68. Nearly half of Millennials have a tattoo.

When it comes to getting ink, 47 percent of Millennials have at least one tattoo. Thirty-seven percent have at least two, and 15 percent have five or more.  

69. They want their kids to have unique names.

In 2015, 60 percent of surveyed Millennial parents said it was important to give their child a unique name—maybe because they were one of four Jennifers or Joshs in their class when they were kids, or perhaps because they want their kid to have an easy time building an online presence. In a 2018 survey, 20 percent of Millennial parents admitted to choosing their child’s name based on what domain names were available.

70. Half have intentionally purchased gender-neutral toys.

A 2015 study found that 50 percent of Millennial parents had bought their children gender-neutral toys on purpose, because girls don’t need their LEGO bricks to be pink to enjoy building awesome things, and anyone can have fun with dolls. 

71. More than half are overwhelmed by information about parenting.

Fifty-eight percent of Gen Y parents also reported they found the avalanche of parenting information available to them to be totally overwhelming. The internet, as we know, is both a blessing and a curse. 

72. Millennials self-identify as good parents.

All of that information must be helping the confidence of new parents, though, because in 2015, Pew Research Center said that 57 percent of Millennial moms felt like they were doing a good job parenting. Millennial dads weren’t quite as sure, at 43 percent, but both numbers were higher than the respective percentage of older-generation moms and dads who self-identified as good parents. The confidence of Millennial moms has increased since then: In one 2023 survey, 76 percent of them said they feel confident as parents.

73. Churchgoing has decreased with this generation.

Millennials don’t place the same importance on taking kids to church that previous generations have. In a 2017 survey of the children of Millennials, 18 percent said they never go to religious services with their families, as opposed to 14 percent of Gen X ers’ kids. 

74. Forty percent of Millennial parents think they over-praise their children.

Jokes are often made about Millennials expecting participation awards, but they’re also aware of doling out too much unwarranted praise. In 2015, 40 percent of Millennials reported that they thought they praised their children too much, compared to 31 percent of Gen X parents and 24 percent of Baby Boomer parents. 

75. Millennials really love Friends. 

Together, Millennials and Gen Z made the sitcom, which ran from 1994–2004, into Netflix’s most streamed series at one time.

76. Some Millennials report feeling lonely. 

While Millennials might love Ross, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, and Joey, Millennials don’t have many real friends of their own. In 2019, three in 10 said they always or often felt lonely—and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

77. Many Millennials say they have no friends.

The stats get even lonelier, because 20 percent of Millennials say they have no friends at all. Twenty-seven percent say they have no close friends, while 30 percent say they have no best friends. It may just be a natural part of life that a lot of Millennials are in right now, because other research has found that 30-somethings always have a hard time making friends. Old friends move away, they get busy with work and family, and it gets harder and harder to connect. 

78. Millennials are willing to base friendships on weak ties.

Maybe all of this is the reason Millennials are more willing to base their friendships on weak ties—which sounds bad, but isn’t necessarily. You can argue that weak-tie friendships are sort of like friend networking: You use your existing connections to make low-stakes friendships, like friends of friends, or the parents you see at drop-off every morning. 

79. Millennials may embody different leadership values.

As Millennials get older at work and start to grow into managerial roles, experts say they will focus more on teamwork and emergent leadership instead of a dictatorial mentality. 

80. Many are “jacks of all trades, masters of none.”

After the recession in 2008, many Millennials realized they needed to diversify their skills in order to be as employable as possible. As a result, a lot of them have a broad base of professional skills and knowledge, but don’t super-specialize in any one thing.  

81. Millennials aren’t big on driving.

Most Millennials don’t love driving: In 2018, 59 percent said they’d rather be doing something more productive. Less than half thought a car is worth the time and hassle. A 2022 study found that they drive less than both Baby Boomers and Gen X—9 percent and 8 percent less, respectively.

82. They’re more likely to lease their cars than other generations ...

Not feeling the need to own a set of wheels ties in with the fact that Millennials are leasing more. They’re less concerned about owning, which is made easier by rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.

83. … And more likely to take taxis or rideshare services.

Speaking of which, in 2019, it was reported that 50 percent of Millennials spent money on taxis and Ubers. Only 29 percent of Gen Xers and 15 percent of Boomers did the same.

84. Millennials listen to a lot of music.

According to a 2016 study, Millennials listen to 75.1 percent more music on a daily basis than their Baby Boomer counterparts.

85. They learn about new music in old-school ways …

While Millennials are obviously gravitating toward streaming services over physical media, you might be surprised where they’re discovering new music. A survey from 2016, conducted by Lizzy Koerbel at the Kellogg School of Management, found that the two most widely used methods amongst Millennials to discover new music were personal recommendations from friends and FM radio. 

86. … And then seek out music videos.

The most common next step for Millennials who discover new artists is less surprising: seeking out music videos on sites like YouTube.

87. Millennials are loyal music fans.

Millennials are also more loyal to music, helping to keep songs on the charts for much longer than the generations before them. For example, in 1980, more than 80 songs made it to the Billboard top 10—but only around 20 of them stayed there for 10 weeks or more. In 2015, a little over 50 songs made the top 10. About 30 of them were there for 10 weeks or more; and one—Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars—was there for a whopping 31 weeks.

88. Millennials love podcasts.

In 2017, it was reported that 37 percent of Millennials listened to podcasts at least weekly, with 13 percent tuning in daily. That’s a substantial difference from the 5 percent of people aged 35 years or older who listened daily. 

89. They account for almost a third of movie box office sales.

Movies are one of the many, many things Millennials have been accused of killing. But according to a 2016 study by Movio, Gen Y accounted for nearly 30 percent of sales at the box office, and U.S. consumers aged 20–35 went to the movies 6.2 times a year. 

90. They are, indeed, cutting the cord on cable.

Now, traditional TV viewing—that they might be killing. Among Millennials, streaming and watching online video is growing while cable is declining. In 2018, it was reported that 9 percent more Millennials streamed video than watched traditional TV. The gap continues to widen: A 2021 poll found that just 19 percent of Millennials use cable TV, and a 2023 survey revealed that they spend nearly twice the time streaming versus watching live TV (an hour and 58 minutes versus an hour and three minutes).

91. They have hardened views toward businesses.

Are Millennials cynical, or realists? According to a 2021 study, a majority of them across the world agree with the statement that businesses “have no ambition beyond wanting to make money.” 

92. Many prefer generic brands at the supermarket.

Sixty percent of Millennials prefer to buy generic brands over name brands at the grocery store, because saving a little cash is important.

93. They may be more accepting of bad service.

Millennials might have more patience for bad service than other generations: 74 percent have no issues switching to another brand if they have a negative customer service experience, compared to 86 percent of Gen Xers and 85 percent of Baby Boomers who would “switch immediately if customer service is poor.” Millennials are also more likely to share positive customer service experiences than negative. 

94. Almost all Millennials read online reviews.

And those opinions matter: According to a 2015 study, 97 percent of Millennials read online reviews before using a business, and they overwhelmingly say they trust those reviews.

95. They distrust advertising.

As trusting as Millennials are of online reviews, they reportedly distrust advertising. Only 6 percent of Millennials think online advertising is credible. 

96. They’re willing to shop on their phones.

Once Millennials find something they do want to buy, they often pull out their phones. A 2019 survey found that Millennials make 36 percent of their online purchases on a mobile device.

97. Millennials have helped canned cocktails emerge.

Millennials love a cocktail... a canned cocktail. The Atlantic calls them the perfect drink for a “medium-fancy” generation. Sales of canned cocktails like fizzy wine and hard liquor were up more than 40 percent in 2019, and alcoholic seltzers—looking at you, White Claw—have tripled in sales. 

98. Two-thirds of Millennials would like to drink less.

Those numbers could be trending in the opposite direction in the future, though. In 2019, two-thirds of Millennials said they’d like to drink less, mostly for physical and mental wellness reasons.

99. They prefer experiences to material goods.

That whole thing about Millennials preferring experiences to material possessions is absolutely true. Three out of four Millennials say live experiences—from cause-related marches and rallies to entertainment-based events like festivals and concerts—are a better investment than buying more stuff.

100. Xennials stand astride generations.

If some of these things feel familiar to you, but not quite right, you could be a Xennial. That’s a portmanteau of Gen X and Millennial, and it’s sometimes used to describe the “microgeneration” born between 1977 and 1985. They say Xennials were already working when the 2008 recession hit, whereas many Millennials were just getting out of college. Xennials had no social media throughout childhood, and were probably first exposed to the early days of Facebook and MySpace in college. Xennials probably didn’t get cell phones until college, either, and grew up using payphones and landlines. If you left a moody away message consisting of song lyrics on AIM, you might be an Xennial. 

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