Congressional Age Index

Generational distribution

Last Updated: 3/16/2026

The Congressional Age Index was created to provide a better picture of the age structure of the United States Congress. Public discussion often focuses on a few prominent elderly leaders, which can obscure the broader distribution of ages across the federal institution. The index compiles age data for all members and summarizes it using measures such as mean, median, and chamber comparisons. This approach allows observers to understand whether Congress is broadly aging or whether attention is driven by a small number of outliers. It also highlights structural differences between the House and the Senate as well as variation across states and parties. The goal of the index is to provide a consistent and transparent benchmark for evaluating generational change in Congress over time. Updates will be added over time.