Dramatic Changes in U.S. Aging Highlighted in New Census, NIH Report

Impact of Baby Boomers Anticipated

The face of aging in the United States is changing dramatically — and
rapidly, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. 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 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 report, 65+ in the United States: 2005, was commissioned by the
National
Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health,
to provide a picture of the health and socioeconomic status of the aging
population. It highlights striking shifts in aging on a population scale
and also describes changes at the local and even family level, examining,
for example, 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 U.S. population age 65 and over is expected to double in size within
the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1-out-of-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).

-- Florida (17.6 percent), Pennsylvania (15.6 percent) and West Virginia
(15.3 percent) are the “oldest” states, with the highest percentages of
people age 65 and older. Charlotte County, Fla., (34.7 percent) has the
highest concentration of older residents 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 from 1950 to 2003, from 17 percent to
71.5 percent.

-- As the United States as a whole grows more diverse, so does the
population age65 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 age 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 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.”

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 Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the
nation’s people and economy. For more information, visit the Census Bureau
Web site < 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 Web
site at < www.nia.nih.gov > or call toll free 1-800-222-2225.

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