The global rate of seniors aged 65 and above is expected to increase two times by 2050, a new federal report found.
The U.S. Census Report found that by 2050, the number of seniors will reach 1.6 billion, which will represent 17 percent of the population throughout the world. The current rate is at 617 million or 8.5 percent of the world's population. In the United States, specifically, the report estimated that from now to 2050, the number of seniors will increase from 48 million to 88 million.
The report also found that seniors will most likely live longer. The life expectancy rate in the world is expected to go from 68.6 years to 76.2 years. The percentage of seniors aged 80 and older, who are considered to be a part of the "oldest old" group, is also expected to increase from 126.5 million to 446.6 million, with the majority of them being concentrated in Asia and Latin America.
"We are seeing population aging in every country in every part of the world," said John Haaga, the acting director of the National Institute of Aging's (NIA) Division of Behavioral and Social Research. "Many countries in Europe and Asia are further along in the process, or moving more rapidly, than we are in the United States. Since population aging affects so many aspects of public life - acute and long-term health care needs, pensions, work and retirement, transportation, housing - there is a lot of potential for learning from each other's experience."
The director of the NIA, who commissioned the report, Richard J. Hodes, added: "People are living longer, but that does not necessarily mean that they are living healthier. The increase in our aging population presents many opportunities and also several public health challenges that we need to prepare for. NIA has partnered with Census to provide the best possible data so that we can better understand the course and implications of population aging."
In terms of health conditions that could affect the global population of seniors, the researchers found that the main cause for concern is non-infectious diseases. They noted that infectious diseases can also be a huge medical problem for older adults from low-income nations.
The report also pointed out lifestyle factors, such as smoking status, alcohol use, diet and exercise that "contribute to the global burden of disease." If older people adopted healthier habits, their overall well-being and life quality could improve.
