With longer, richer and healthier lives, the people who celebrate their own platinum anniversary alongside Queen Elizabeth II by turning 70 this year have enjoyed great statistical good fortune.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies looked at how the lives of UK residents who are now 70 have turned out, to shed light on the social and economic changes that have taken place during the queen’s reign.
Of those born in 1952, 76 per cent of men and 84 per cent of women are still alive, making it to the age of 70, compared with just 34 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women who were born in 1882 and made it to their 70th birthday in 1952.
The platinum jubilee generation turning 70 now can typically expect to live until 86 if they are a man and 88 if they are a woman. Of the jubilee generation alive today, just over one in 40 men and just under one in 20 women are expected to still be alive in 2052.
Those born in 1952 have, on average, been better off during their lives than their fellow citizens, having seen substantial income growth and house price booms over their lifetime, the IFS said.
This generation benefited from the strong growth in earnings in the 1980s and 1990s in particular, and from the increasing generosity of the state pension in more recent years, according to the think tank.
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Workers add the final parts to the Tree of Trees sculpture, part of the Queen's Green Canopy Project. The sculpture, which will stand outside Buckingham Palace for the duration of the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations, consists of 350 native British trees planted in aluminium pots. Getty Images -
Thomas Heatherwick, designer of the Tree of Trees sculpture, poses in front of Buckingham Palace. AFP -
Royal superfan John Loughrey jumps for joy on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London, where he is already camped out for a prime position to view the platinum jubilee celebrations. PA -
Model-maker Paula Young places a Lego replica of Queen Elizabeth II in a display replicating the royal balcony scene at Buckingham Palace for the Legoland platinum jubilee display in Windsor. PA -
British Union flags are on display at Kirby Estate in London. EPA -
The gold state coach passes the Houses of Parliament during an early morning rehearsal through London for Sunday's platinum jubilee pageant. PA -
Workers hang bunting outside a hotel in central London. Reuters -
Voyager and Rivet Joint aircraft perform in the sky for the queen's platinum jubilee fly-past rehearsal in Sleaford. EPA -
A view from a cockpit during the rehearsal. PA -
Royal Marines drummers play for residents of Church Hill near Birmingham. The nationwide celebrations will mark the 70th anniversary of the queen's accession to the throne. PA -
The 15-kilogram Queen's Platinum Jubilee coin, made with fine gold, is the largest coin made by the Royal Mint, produced in celebration of her 70-year milestone. PA -
Chelsea Pensioners Ted Fell, left, and George Reid pose as they view 'The Queen's Platinum Jubilee' display by Simon Lycett at Chelsea Flower Show in London. Reuters -
Union flags are displayed along The Mall in London. AP -
Fiona Baxter makes Union flags at the Flying Colours Flagmakers factory in Knaresborough. Getty Images -
People stand underneath Union Jack flags hanging in Covent Garden, London. Reuters -
Construction work at Buckingham Palace in London before Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee. EPA -
A display paying homage to Queen Elizabeth II is shown outside the Sloane Club in London, as part of 'Chelsea in Bloom'. AP -
One of eight London buses given a purple makeover to celebrate the jubilee makes its way across central London. PA -
Jemma Melvin poses in Fortnum and Mason, central London, with her lemon Swiss roll trifle that beat 5,000 desserts to become the official pudding of the jubilee celebrations. PA -
A man has his photograph taken next to a life-size cardboard cut-out of Queen Elizabeth II displayed in a shop in Windsor. Getty Images -
Flags designed by British fashion illustrator Anjelica Roselyn on display across South Molton Street in Mayfair to celebrate the jubilee. PA -
People pass a shop window display commemorating the platinum jubilee in Windsor. Getty Images -
A knitted figure of the queen is displayed on top of a post box in Wallasey. Reuters -
Temporary structures are built around Buckingham Palace for the celebrations. Reuters -
Linda Bainbridge and Miyuki Griffin put finishing touches to The Crown, Orb and Sceptre exhibit as part of 'A Festival of Flowers' at Salisbury Cathedral. PA -
A glittering banner stretches across Carnaby Street shopping district in London. EPA -
Lewis Wilde from Selkirk tests a gas-fuelled beacon he has made to signal the start of the celebrations, which will culminate with a four-day bank holiday in June. PA -
The gold state coach stands in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. The coach will be used as part of the jubilee celebrations. Getty Images -
Union flags decorate a street Mayfair, London. EPA -
Puppet-maker Louise Jones puts the finishing touches to her group of corgis, each based on past and present royal corgis, for the platinum jubilee pageant. AP Photo -
Grounds staff change bedding plants outside Buckingham Palace. Getty Images -
A member of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets holding the Commonwealth of Nations' Globe on its arrival at the Tower of London. It will be on display until June 2, when it will be used to light Buckingham Palace's principal beacon. PA -
Power stilt artist Bouncy Bruce performs at the final unveiling of the platinum jubilee pageant at Bafta in London's West End. Reuters -
Workers place a decorative crown at the top of a flag pole facing Buckingham Palace. Reuters -
Abbey Marshall Leticia Edwards looks out at the view from the Henry VII roof of Westminster Abbey, which will be open to the public for the first time for guided tours, as part of its plans to celebrate the jubilee. PA -
Members of the Household Cavalry during a musical ride rehearsal at Hyde Park in London for the Royal Windsor horse show, as part of the jubilee celebration. Reuters -
A gardener sows seeds into the moat surrounding the Tower of London that will grow into a 'superbloom' display to celebrate the jubilee later this year. Reuters -
Gilder Claire Wright applies gold paint by hand as she works to produce a platinum jubilee commemorative beaker for Goviers, as part of its Royal Commemoratives collection. AFP -
Members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment take part in the Maj Gen's Inspection in Hyde Park. The ceremonial unit must pass the inspection to take part in state duties. EPA
When they were 25, at the time of the silver jubilee, their average incomes were £12,500 (in 2020-21 prices), compared with an average of £10,700 for the whole of the UK.
Their income peak came after the golden jubilee when, in 2005, they had average incomes of £27,800, £5,700 higher than the UK average.
They now have typical incomes of £26,400 per year, £1,500 more than the average.
More than four-fifths of the “platinum jubilee generation” are homeowners and around one in seven have a second home, according to a think tank.
In 1952, the average property price was £2,000 (around £40,000 in today’s prices), rising to £13,000 by 1977 (around £64,000 in today’s prices).
The average house price now is around £260,000.
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Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her platinum jubilee in 2022. 'The National' looks back at jubilee celebrations during her reign. All photos: Getty Images -
A portrait of the queen is displayed on the large screen at Piccadilly Circus in London to mark the start of the platinum jubilee in February. -
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Price Harry wave to the crowds from Buckingham Palace during the diamond jubilee celebrations in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth is joined on stage by Prince Charles and performers during the diamond jubilee celebrations at a Buckingham Palace concert in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth arrives at St Paul's Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving in June 2012 to mark her diamond jubilee. -
Queen Elizabeth meets Sir Elton John, Sir Cliff Richard, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Tom Jones and Sir Paul McCartney backstage after the diamond jubilee Buckingham Palace concert in June 2012. -
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on board the 'Spirit of Chartwell' during the diamond jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. -
British expatriates living in New Delhi, India, take rides on Rupa, a rented elephant, at an event to celebrate the diamond jubilee at the British High Commission in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend a diamond jubilee event at Stormont in Belfast, Northern Ireland. -
The queen's barge 'Spirit of Chartwell' passes under Tower Bridge in London, as part of her diamond jubilee Pageant on the River Thames. -
Queen Elizabeth chats to people attending a street party in Sunderland, north-east England as part of her diamond jubilee tour in July 2012. -
Members of the public admire a large floral crown made to mark the diamond jubilee in St James's Park, London in May 2012. -
The queen receives flowers from members of the public in Victoria Square, Birmingham during her diamond jubilee visit in July 2012. -
Members of the public cheer and wave flags as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip embark from Chelsea Harbour in London on the first part of their jubilee river pageant to celebrate the diamond jubilee in June 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth meets members of the public during a visit to Leeds, northern England to celebrate her diamond jubilee in July 2012. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral celebrating her golden jubilee in June 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip watch a fireworks display to celebrate her golden jubilee at Buckingham Palace in June 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth is welcomed to Wells, south-west England during a tour of the UK in May 2002 to celebrate her golden jubilee. -
Queen Elizabeth and her family wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during celebrations of her golden jubilee in June 2002. -
Lina Sultana, 8, has her face painted at a golden jubilee street party in June 2002 in Stepney, east London. -
A dog sports a Union flag during the golden jubilee celebrations in Stepney in 2002. -
Queen Elizabeth addresses the British Parliament in the run-up to her silver jubilee at Westminster Hall, London in May 1977. -
Residents in celebrate in Brixton, south London, after they won a competition for the best decorated street to celebrate the silver jubilee in June 1977. -
A double-decker bus in livery commemorating the silver jubilee on the Thames Embankment in London. -
A young boy holding two British flags and a cup with the jubilee logo, celebrates the silver jubilee in Trafalgar Square, central London in June 1977. -
Vic Hiscoke shows his support of the British monarch during her silver jubilee in June 1977. -
Queen Elizabeth in Deptford, south-east London, during a walkabout to commemorate her silver jubilee in June 1977. -
People celebrate the silver jubilee in Fulham, south-west London in May 1977. -
A Scots Guard takes a picture during the silver jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the River Thames travelling from Greenwich to Lambeth, London in June 1977.
But not all are well off and 18 per cent were in relative income poverty before the coronavirus pandemic, although this is lower than national average of 22 per cent.
In 1977, the silver jubilee year, those over state pension age were more than twice as likely to be poor than those under state pension age.
About 15 per cent have a degree or equivalent higher education, a proportion which is much lower than younger generations.
Around three-quarters are married, 10 per cent are widowed and 11 per cent are divorced or separated from a partner.
Longevity is the key
“The platinum jubilee generation, those born as the queen came to the throne, have seen huge changes over their lives,” said David Sturrock, senior research economist at IFS. “Life expectancy at age 70 has risen by six years between 1952 and today. Incomes and house prices have grown dramatically, making this generation the richest to date.
“These changes reflect some of the big economic and social shifts that have happened in the UK since the 1950s.
“Younger generations are much less likely to be homeowners and face a future in which we aim to rapidly reduce the environmental impact of our economy while providing for an ageing population.”
