|
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. |
LTC Insurance: Compare the top companies, and
get the best quote for your needs.
|
“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.”
65+ lead author, Victoria A. Velkoff, Ph.D., chief
of the Aging Studies Branch at the U.S. Census Bureau, noted
the variations among today’s older adults and those of the
future. “People 65 and over are a very diverse group. How
they experience aging depends on a variety of interacting factors—from
gender and race/ethnicity to health, education, socioeconomic
and family circumstances. 65+ in the United States: 2005
depicts this heterogeneity, which will further expand as this
population doubles in size over the next 25 years.”
The report was prepared by Dr.
Velkoff and co-authors Wan He, Ph.D., Manisha Sengupta, Ph.D.,
and Kimberly A. DeBarros of the Population Division, U.S. Census
Bureau.
The 243-page compendium examines
in detail five key areas: growth of the older population (changes
in age and racial/ethnic composition), longevity and health (life
expectancy and causes of death), economic characteristics (income
and household wealth), geographic distribution (by population
and race) and social and other characteristics (marital status,
living arrangements and voting patterns).
The report covers a wide range of topics and timelines, pulling
together data from Census 2000 and previous censuses, nationally
representative surveys and recent population projections. In
addition to the data compiled by other federal agencies, including
the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development, the report also includes statistics
from the Current Population Survey; American Housing Survey;
National Health Interview Survey; National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey; Survey of Income and Program Participation;
and the Health and Retirement Study.
The public can view and also
download the report at http://www.census.gov.
The NIA is the lead federal agency
conducting and supporting basic, biomedical and behavioral and
social research on aging and the special needs and problems of
older people. For more information, visit the NIA website at
www.nia.nih.gov
or call toll free 1-800-222-2225. |
