Gen Z is most commonly defined as people born between 1997 and 2012 , which makes them roughly ages 13 to 29 in 2026.

What age group is Gen Z?

Most major demographers and orgs (like Pew-style definitions, HR and market research guides) cluster Gen Z into this birth range:

  • Birth years: 1997–2012.
  • Approximate age in 2026: about 13–29 years old (13–28 in 2025, so add a year for 2026).
  • Position in generations: after Millennials (1981–1996) and before Gen Alpha (early 2010s–mid‑2020s).

Quick snapshot

  • In school: younger Gen Z are in middle school, high school, or early college.
  • In the workforce: older Gen Z are out of college, working, and some are already in management or buying homes.

So if someone is a teen or twenty‑something in 2026, there’s a good chance they’re Gen Z.

Do all sources agree?

Not perfectly—but they’re close.

  • Several mainstream references (HR glossaries, demographic guides, corporate explainers) use 1997–2012.
  • One explainer calls Gen Z roughly 1996–2010 , which still centers the group in the late 1990s to early 2010s.
  • Online forum debates sometimes push the start to 1995 or the end to 2011, but these are opinion-based, not official standards.

Typical working definition

If you need a clear, practical answer (for HR, marketing, school, or a post), this line is safe and widely used:

Gen Z = people born from 1997 through 2012 (teens and twenty‑somethings today).

TL;DR:
When people ask “what age group is Gen Z,” they almost always mean those born 1997–2012 – roughly ages 13–29 as of 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.