By the end of 2025, Generation Alpha – born between 2010 and 2025 – will comprise over 2 billion people globally, making it the largest generation in history. With a projected economic footprint of $5.46 trillion by 2029, this cohort is set to surpass the combined spending power of Millennials and Gen Z, reshaping societies, economies and policy landscapes around the world.
In this context, governments must gain a deeper understanding of Gen Alpha’s values, behaviours and future challenges. The Future Laboratory collaborated with the UAE Government Development & The Future Office to equip international policy-makers with the insights they need to prepare for this seismic generational shift.
The report was launched in Dubai at an event hosted at the experimental Sxill Lab, bringing together over 100 ministers, educators and innovation leaders to explore how Generation Alpha will shape learning, work and civic life in the decade ahead.
‘The decisions policy-makers make today will directly influence the world that Generation Alpha inherits,’ says Martin Raymond, co-founder of The Future Laboratory. ‘This is the first fully 21st-century generation, shaped by unprecedented access to technology, shifting norms around identity, and the growing need for adaptability and emotional resilience. Governments must listen, respond and evolve alongside them.’
The report maps out the global forces and personal factors shaping Gen Alpha’s world today –including technological acceleration, new parenting models and globalised cultural identities. It then explores four key insight areas: Education, Technology, Health and Social Values, providing a data-led snapshot of the generation’s emerging attitudes and expectations.
Building on these insights, a set of future scenarios explore likely developments through to 2030 – from next-gen AI learning to the rise of Gen Alpha’s wellbeing economy. It concludes with strategic implications designed to help governments future-proof their education, healthcare and policy models as Alphas come of age.
READ THE REPORT
Photography by Daniel Farò
