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The face of aging in the United States is changing dramatically — and
rapidly, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, commissioned
by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Today’s older
Americans are very different from their predecessors, living
longer, having lower rates of disability, achieving higher
levels of education and less often living in poverty. And
the baby boomers, the first of whom celebrated their 60th
birthdays in 2006, promise to redefine further what it means
to grow older in America.
The report, 65+ in the United States: 2005, was
prepared for NIA, a component of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, to provide a picture of the health and socioeconomic
status of the aging population at a critical time in the
maturing of the United States. It highlights striking shifts
in aging on a population scale and also describes changes
at the local and even family level, examining, for example,
important changes in family structure as a result of divorce.
“The collection, analysis, and reporting of reliable
data are critical to informing policy as the nation moves
ahead to address the challenges and opportunities of an aging
population,” says NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “This
report tells us that we have made a lot of progress in improving
the health and well-being of older Americans, but there is
much left to do.”
Among the trends:
- The United States population aged 65 and over is
expected to double in size within the next 25 years. By
2030, almost 1 out of every 5 Americans — some
72 million people — will be 65 years or older.
The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing
segment of the U.S. population.
- The health of older Americans is improving. Still,
many are disabled and suffer from chronic conditions. The
proportion with a disability fell significantly from
26.2 percent in 1982 to 19.7 percent in 1999. But 14
million people age 65 and older reported some level of
disability in Census 2000, mostly linked to a high prevalence
of chronic conditions such as heart disease or arthritis.
- The financial circumstances of older people have
improved dramatically, although there are wide variations
in income and wealth. The proportion of people aged
65 and older in poverty decreased from 35 percent in
1959 to 10 percent in 2003, mostly attributed to the
support of Social Security. In 2000, the poorest fifth
of senior households had a net worth of $3,500 ($44,346
including home equity) and the wealthiest had $328,432
($449,800 including home equity).
- Geographically, Florida (17.6 percent), Pennsylvania
(15.6 percent) and West Virginia (15.3 percent) are the “oldest” states,
with the highest percentages of people aged 65 and older.
Charlotte County, Fla. (34.7 percent) gets top honors among
counties, and McIntosh County, N.D. (34.2 percent) ranks
second.
- Higher levels of education, which are linked to better
health, higher income, more wealth and a higher standard
of living in retirement, will continue to increase among
people 65 and older. The proportion of Americans
with at least a bachelor’s degree grew five-fold
from 1950 to 2003, from 3.4 percent to 17.4 percent,
and by 2030, more than one-fourth of the older population
is expected to have an undergraduate degree. The percentage
completing high school quadrupled between 1950 and 2003,
from 17.0 percent to 71.5 percent.
- As the United States as a whole grows more diverse,
so does the population aged 65 and older. In 2003,
older Americans were 83 percent non-Hispanic White, 8
percent Black, 6 percent Hispanic and 3 percent Asian.
By 2030, an estimated 72 percent of older Americans will
be non-Hispanic White, 11 percent Hispanic, 10 percent
Black and 5 percent Asian.
- Changes in the American family have significant implications
for future aging. Divorce, for example, is on the
rise, and some researchers suggest that fewer children
and more stepchildren may change the availability of
family support in the future for people at older ages.
In 1960, only 1.6 percent of older men and 1.5 percent
of women aged 65 and older were divorced. But by 2003,
7 percent of older men and 8.6 percent of older women
were divorced and had not remarried. The trend may be
continuing. In 2003, among people in their early 60s,
12.2 percent of men and 15.9 percent of women were divorced.
“The social and economic implications of an aging
population — and of the baby boom in particular — are
likely to be profound for both individuals and society,” says
Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. “The 65+
in the United States report helps us to understand these
dramatic changes so we can examine how they may impact families
and society.”
The 65+ report is a project of the NIA’s
Behavioral and Social Research Program, which supports the
collection and analyses of data in several national and international
studies on health, retirement, and aging. The program’s
director, Richard M. Suzman, Ph.D., suggests that, with five
years to go before the baby boom turns 65, “Many people
have an image of aging that may be 20 years out of date.
The very current portrait presented here shows how much has
changed and where trends may be headed in the future.”
To read the rest of this article from the National Institutes
of Health, please click here: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2006/nia-09.htm
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