The US Administration on Aging has released its annual Profile of Older Americans. Here’s where we stand:
Americans over 65:
– Numbered 38 million in 2007 (up 11% in a decade)
– Represent one in eight Americans
– Are 58% women
– Are 81% Caucasian
– Live alone 30% of the time, including half of women over 75
– Include 450,000 grandparents with primary child care responsibility
– Will increase to 72 million in 2030
– If 65 now, will live an average of 17.4 (men) to 20.3 (women) more years
– Have a median income of $24,000 for men and $14,000 for women
– Have a 9.7% poverty rate (up a significant 0.3% in one year)
Also:
– The current net increase in older Americans (new 65-year-olds minus deaths)
is over 630,000 per year
– A child born in 2006 will live an average of 78.1 years (still well behind many
other countries)
– The 85+ population will increase from 35 million (2000) to 40 Million (2010), to 55 million (2020)
– The 100+ population is nearly 81,000
The full report is here: http://www.aoa.gov/prof/Statistics/profile/2007/2007profile.pdf
We welcome your observations and comments.
Meanwhile, a woman in Uzbekistan may be the oldest elder ever documented, at 128: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/
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