Older Adults - The Aging Of America

According to the United States Census Bureau, 12.4 percent of the population (approximately 35 million people) were 65 years and older in 2000. From just 4 percent of the total population in 1900, those 65 years of age and older are projected to account for 20.7 percent of the population, or 86.7 million people, in the year 2050. (See Table 10.1.)

Baby Boomers

The first children born during the post–World War II "baby boom" (1946–64) will be turning 65 in the year 2011. Baby boomers, the largest single generation in the history of the United States, will help swell the 65 and older population to approximately 54.6 million in 2020. (See Table 10.1.)

The Oldest Demographic

Americans age 85 and older account for the most rapidly growing age group in the population. Predictions vary as to how fast this "oldest old" segment of the population is increasing. In its official report to the White House Conference on Aging (Putting Aging on Hold: Delaying the Diseases of Old Age, 1995), the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) concluded that predictions by the Census Bureau are quite conservative compared to those given by private entities.

The Census Bureau's prediction is that there will be approximately 20.9 million people age 85 and older by the year 2050. (See Table 10.1.) Other demographers forecast more than twice the Census Bureau's estimates for this portion of the general population. Some predict that by mid-century as many as 48.7 million Americans will be over age 85.