Grandparents’ Characteristics by Age Group, 2025

Family Profile No. 21, 2026
Author: Krista K. Westrick-Payne

In 2025 39% of adults over age 40 were grandparents and the average age of grandparents in the U.S. was 69 years, up from 68 years in 2022 (Westrick-Payne, 2024). Grandparenthood is more common among older adults (aged 65 and older) than those in midlife (aged 40-64). In 2025, the percentage of older adults who were grandparents (67%) was 3 times as high as the percentage among those in midlife (22%). Data from the 2025 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) are used to update FP-18-04 (Wu, 2018), FP-23-02 (Westrick-Payne, 2023), and FP-24-20 (Westrick-Payne, 2024) by comparing midlife and older grandparents across demographic characteristics in 2025. The SIPP is a nationally representative household-based survey that directly asks respondents whether they are a grandparent, making it one of the few national surveys that identify nonresident grandparents.

Prevalence of Grandparenthood by Age Group
  • About one-fifth (22%) of midlife adults (aged 40-64) were grandparents, representing nearly 22.5 million adults. This was lower than in 2014, when one-third (33%) of midlife adults were grandparents.
  • Over two-thirds (67%) of older adults (aged 65+) were grandparents. This figure represents 41.1 million adults. This share was also lower than in 2014, when 3-in-4 (76%) were grandparents.
  • Among grandparents in 2025 about one-third (35%) were in midlife (ages 40-64) and two-thirds (65%) were age 65 or older (not shown).

Figure 1. Grandparenthood by Age Group, 2014 & 2025

Line chart showing declines in grandparenthood among both age groups between 2014 and 2025, with consistently higher prevalence among adults aged 65 and older.

Source: NCFMR analyses of U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2014 & 2025

Race/Ethnicity of Grandparents by Age Group
  • Four-in-ten (40%) midlife grandparents and more than one-quarter (28%) of older grandparents were members of a racial/ethnic minority group.
    • One-fifth (20%) of midlife grandparents were Hispanic and 14% were non-Hispanic Black. Only 3% of midlife grandparents were non-Hispanic Asian and 2% were non-Hispanic Other/2+ Races.
    • One-in-ten (10%) older grandparents were non-Hispanic Black, and a near equal share were Hispanic (11%). A small share was non-Hispanic Asian (5%) or non-Hispanic Other/2+ Races (2%).
  • Non-Hispanic Whites composed a higher proportion of older grandparents than midlife grandparents (72% and 60%, respectively).

Figure 2. Race/Ethnicity of Grandparents by Age Group, 2025

Stacked bar chart showing the racial/ethnic composition of grandparents aged 40–64 and 65+, with a higher share of NH White grandparents in the older age group (72% versus 60%).

Source: NCFMR analyses of U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2014 & 2025

Note. NH = non-Hispanic. Other/2+ Races includes non-Hispanic individuals identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native alone, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander alone, or two or more races. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Educational Attainment of Grandparents by Age Group
  • Educational attainment differences between midlife and older grandparents were modest.
    • Two-in-ten (20%) midlife grandparents had at least a bachelor’s degree compared to about three-in-ten (31%) older grandparents.
    • Similar shares of midlife and older grandparents had some college or an associate degree: 30% among midlife grandparents and 27% among older grandparents.
    • Slightly more than one-third (35%) of midlife grandparents had a high school diploma or GED compared to slightly less than one-third (30%) of older grandparents.
    • Similar shares of midlife grandparents and older grandparents had less than a high school education (15% and 12%, respectively).

Figure 3. Educational Attainment of Grandparents by Age Group, 2025

Stacked bar chart showing educational attainment among grandparents aged 40–64 and 65+, with a higher share of older grandparents holding at least a bachelor’s degree (31% versus 20%).

Source: NCFMR analyses of U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2014 & 2025

Note. HS = high school; SC = some college; Assoc = associate degree; Bach+ = bachelor’s degree or higher. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Relationship Status of Grandparents by Age Group
  • Most grandparents were married, including 62% of midlife grandparents and 59% of older grandparents.
  • About one-fifth (21%) of midlife grandparents were divorced or separated compared to 14% of their older counterparts.
  • The share of widowed grandparents was more than four times as high among older grandparents as among midlife adults (22% vs. 5%).
  • Few grandparents were cohabiting (6% of midlife grandparents and 2% of older grandparents).
  • About 6% of midlife grandparents and only 2% of older grandparents had never married.

Figure 4. Relationship Status of Grandparents by Age Group, 2025

Stacked bar chart showing relationship status among grandparents aged 40–64 and 65+, with higher shares of divorced/separated and cohabiting grandparents in the younger age group and widowed grandparents in the older age group.

Source: NCFMR analyses of U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2014 & 2025

Note. Div = divorced; Sep = separated. Categories may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

This Family Profile is an update of: FP-18-04, FP-23-02, & FP-24-20

National Center for Family and Marriage Research
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Data Source:

U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation 2014, Wave 1, and 2025. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sipp.html

References:

Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2023). Grandparents’ characteristics by age. Family Profiles, FP-23-02. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-23-02

Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2024). Grandparents’ characteristics by age, 2022. Family Profiles, FP-24-20. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-24-20

Wu, H. (2018). Grandparents’ characteristics by age. Family Profiles, FP-18-04. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/FP/wu-grandparent-characteristics-age-fp-18-04.pdf

Suggested Citation:

Westrick-Payne, K. K. (2026). Grandparents’ characteristics by age group, 2025. Family Profiles, FP-26-21. Bowling Green, OH: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. https://doi.org/10.25035/ncfmr/fp-26-21

This project is supported with assistance from Bowling Green State University. From 2007 to 2013, support was also provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the state or federal government.

National Center for Family and Marriage Research

Updated: 11/03/2026 05:32PM