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The U.S. Census Bureau just released findings on the rapidly growing older population, of adults ages 65 and older, in a report. Due to a trend of lower birth rates and longer life spans, the growth of the older population now exceeds the total population and the population of citizens under the age of 65.
The report reveals that this segment is still connected to the overall population socially and economically, as a majority have access to internet in their homes and a number still participate in the labor force—30 percent of males and 22 percent of females between the ages of 65 and 74. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 80 percent of the population age 65 and older have a computer in their homes, and 75 percent have access to the internet.
Key Findings
- There are more females than males at the oldest ages. For those between the ages 65 to 74, there are 89 males for every 100 females.
- The older population is largely white and non-Hispanic, at more than 80 percent of the population 85 and older.
- The likelihood that an elder lives in a family household diminishes with age, from 73 percent for people between 65 and 74 to 48 percent for those 85 years of age or older.
- A greater share of older males than older females had at least a Bachelor’s degree.
- The homeownership rate is higher among people between the ages 65 to 74 at 79 percent.
- 90 percent of the most common household income received in the past 12 months for the older population was from social security.
- A higher percentage of older women are in poverty than older men—11 percent compared to 7 percent.
Read the full report here.