Boomers own half of Britain

January 27, 2010 at 07:00 PM
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Members of the post-war "baby boom" generation own almost half of all the peronal wealth in the country, according to London's Telegraph newspaper.

People under 45, meanwhile, own little more than a tenth of all property and assets .

The paper reports that according to Pinch, by David Willetts, a Conservative frontbencher in Parliment, the generation born between 1945 and 1965 have been left with a disproportionate share of the country's wealth.

"In the book, Willetts argues that the post-war generation benefited from an unprecedented combination of benign economic conditions, including rising house prices and high inflation that eroded mortgage debts.

"Some of that generation, which amounts to around 17 million people, also enjoyed free university education, jobs for life and final salary pensions."

By contrast, the Telegraph writes, many of the younger generation of workers today struggle to afford their first home, are encumbered by large student debts and face an uncertain situation over their employment and eventual retirement.

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