This chart illustrates the percentage of the population that falls into each age category in New England and the United States. The two humps in the distribution—one between 45 and 64 year olds and the second between 15 and 29 year olds—denote the “baby boom” and “echo boom” generations. As can be seen by the areas that do not overlap, New England has a greater share of its population in the older portion of the distribution, and was more dramatically affected by the Baby and Echo Booms, than the United States. Conversely, the nation has a higher share of its population in the younger age ranges than New England.