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Population of Older Adults Increased 35%, According to 2019 Profile of Older Americans
- By: USAging
- On: 07/23/2020 17:07:26
- In: Hot Topics in Aging
ACL has released the 2019 Profile of Older Americans, an annual summary of critical statistics related to the population of older adults living in the United States. The Profile illustrates the shifting demographics of America's older adults—and highlights key topic areas such as income, living arrangements, education, health and caregiving.
The 2019 Profile of Older Americans notes that over the past 10 years, the population age 65 and older increased 35 percent and that it is projected to reach 94.7 million by 2060. Key findings of the Profile are:
- The number of Americans age 45-64 who will reach age 65 during the next two decades increased by 7 percent between 2008 and 2018.
- The number of older adults hailing from racial and ethnic minority groups has increased from 7.5 million in 2008 to 12.3 million in 2018 and are projected to reach 27.7 million in 2040.
- In 2019, 69 percent of older men and 47 percent of older women were married.
- As of 2019, about 28 percent of older persons lived alone. Among women age 75 and older, 44 percent lived alone.
- The median income of older persons in 2018 was $34,267 for men and $20,431 for women.
- In 2018, the percentage of older adults age 85+ who needed help with personal care (21 percent) was more than twice the percentage for adults ages 75–84 (8 percent) and five times the percentage for adults ages 65–74 (4 percent).
- The 85+ population is projected to more than double from 6.5 million in 2018 to 14.4 million in 2040.