This chart illustrates the percentage of the population that falls into each 10-year age category in New England and the United States. The two humps in the distribution – one between 35 and 54 year olds and the second between 5 and 24 year olds – denote the “baby boom” and “echo boom” generations in 2007. These two generations represent the largest shares of both the national and regional populations, with the 20-year span of boomers making up 30.7 percent of the New England population and their children – the echo boom – making up an additional 26.2 percent. While New England has a larger fraction of baby boomers than the U.S., the echo boom generation is relatively smaller.