How unusual is it to have all four grandparents alive?

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A friend of mine is 31 and has all four of her grandparents. They’re all in their late 80s. I said to her that must be quite rare but she said she’d never thought of it like that.

I think it's unusual. My dad's parents died when I was about 9. Mum's dad when I was 2, Mum's mum when I was 20.

My own AC had grandparents until they were in their teens and late 20s

I think it massively depends on how old your family tends to have children. So, my eldest grandparent was born in 1907 (I’m 44) but I have acquaintances my age where their grandparents were born in the early 1940s (so only a couple of years before my parents).

It seems quite common for a lot of people, but not for me. I had one grandparent, who died when I was a small child.

It depends on what age the generations have children, not at all unusual Id say, loads of people in theirs 50s are grandparents, I even know someone in her 40s who a grandma

Depends on lots of factors….my own had 3 GPs until they were adults …..,at 33 my eldest just has 1 GM left

I had all my grand parents up to the age of about 25. And a great grandparents till age of 20! My daughter on the other hand is 5 and one set of gparents are mid eighties already.

I'd lost all my grandparents by the time I was about 11 and it was actually my great grandmother who outlived them all, she died when I was about 13.

DNiece however had all her grandparents until she was in her late 20s and still has 3 at 35 but there's some very young parents in our family, 3 women who became grandmothers before they were 40, one was only about 36.

My children's dad is 36 and has all 4 grandparents. My last grandparent died last year when I was 32 my first died when I was 9.

Depends on area. In deprived areas people to tend to become grandparents in their 20s/30s.

It depends how old you are I guess. My grandparents on DM's side both lived until their mid 90s so for me to even have any grandparents in my mid 40s was a bit unusual.

I have one grandparent and, sadly, only one parent. My DH has no grandparents and only 1 parent as well.

Both my grandfathers had died before I was born. I was in my early 20s when my grandmothers died.

My mother is my son's only living grandparent (he is in his early 20s).

A friend of mine was in her late 40s when her grandmother died at the age of about 104.

My last Grand Parent died when I was 17, those of you who still have them, cherish them and make sure you listen when they talk about the past and more distant relatives as otherwise, by the time you're 50, you'll wish you had paid more attention.

Also can depend on your parents' birth position. Both my parents were the youngest in fairly large families, so although my grandparents started young they were well into their 30s on both sides when my parents came along.

I still had 3 out of 4 living in my 20s though and the last died in my late 40s. They lived well into their 90s so I was lucky.

I was well into my 40s when my last grandmother died at age 96. My other gran died in my late 30s. Both my grandpas died when I was 16, within 3 months of each other.

My dc are 24, 22 and 20. They still have all their grandparents but DFIL is now end stage dementia so we don't think he'll see 80 next year. Everyone else is going strong, from 76-79.

I still had all 4 grandparents at 35 (then lost them all over a 2 year period.) Only one parent though. My daughter was born with 3 grandparents but 4 great grandparents!

Depends on when your predecessors decided to procreate and if any illnesses were involved really. My dad’s dad died when he was 18 (well before I was born), my mum’s dad died when I was 9 and I lost both grandmothers before I turned 20. The women were in their late 70s/early 80s and the men were late 60s/early 70s. I miss my mum’s mum in particular, we would have great chats.

I grew up with 2 grandparents who died, aged around 80, when I was a teen/twenties. My DC also grew up with 2 grandparents who died, aged around 80, when they were teens/twenties. My DGC have 3 grandparents. The ones who were not around to see their DGC died in their 50s.

Ds has all four at 22. Ahen I was the same age I just had the one who carried on until the grand age of 99 😊

I would generalise that posher people tend to have more grandparents alive just because money and class keeps you alive longer.

I'm mid 50s and very few of my friends still have both parents (I do). So I'd say fairly unusual. I do know 2 people who only lost their last grandparent in their early 50s though.

I lost a grandparent when I was 7, 9, 23 and 51.

I dip into Gransnet occasionally (I'm old enough!) and so many of them on there talk about their parents. Obviously there are people on Gransnet who are maybe only 50 or so, but I can tell by the topics that the average age is around late 60's. Not all those many years ago it would have been incredible for someone of nearly 70 to still have living parents but I guess people are living much longer. It really isn't that remarkable these days to reach the age of 90.

Very unusual. Has she gotten to her 30s without experiencing bereavement? I know one woman who did, it hit her hard.

I did up until fairly recently. Lost all 4 in a 5 year period when they were in their late 80s/90s.