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A new review co-authored by Professor Jennifer Dowd from the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science suggests that more recently born generations in Britain may be experiencing poorer health than previous generations at the same ages.
Published in Population Studies, the paper reviews evidence from British birth cohort studies following people born between 1946 and 2002. The authors find evidence that more recently born cohorts in Britain are seeing stagnating or even worsening health compared to older cohorts at the same age, a phenomenon they call “generational health drift.” Evidence for worsening health was seen across a variety of outcomes, but was strongest for obesity, diabetes and mental health.
The review found that the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. The prevalence of diabetes in midlife nearly doubled between baby boomers and Gen X, and Gen Z reported higher levels of mental ill-health in adolescence than earlier-born groups. Levels of life satisfaction were also lower among millennials than Gen X.
Professor Jennifer Dowd, co-author of the study and Deputy Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, said:
These findings are a reminder that we cannot take continued health improvements for granted. The health of each generation is shaped by the social and environmental conditions they grow up in, and the data show we might be moving backwards, particularly for metabolic and mental health. Understanding the causes of this generational health deterioration is important not only to improve well-being, but to better prepare the country for the health and social care burdens of population ageing.
The paper, “The Generational Health Drift: A Systematic Review of Evidence from the British Birth Cohort Studies,” was authored by Laura Gimeno, Darío Moreno-Agostino, Martin N. Danka, Yiling Guo, Alice Goisis, Jennifer B. Dowd, and George B. Ploubidis, and published in Population Studies in May 2026.
