Statistics About Seniors

General Statistics About Seniors

Who is a senior citizen? The age range depends on context. Some organizations, senior living communities, and restaurants like Denny’s consider someone a senior at age 55. Government aid forms might view folks as seniors when they reach age 62. Generally, Medicare, companies and the media view senior citizens as being ages 65 and older. That’s the age range we used for the following statistics about seniors unless otherwise noted.

• Approximately 57.8 million seniors live in the United States according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA). 1
• The senior population will soon almost double. The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) projects that in 2050, about 82 million Americans will be 65 or older, representing a 47 percent  increase.2
• According to the U.S. Census, 30 percent of seniors live alone.3
• According to the PRB, about 27 percent of women ages 65 to 74 and 43 percent of women 75 and older live alone.4
• Men who are ages 75 and older are almost twice as likely as women to live with a spouse, probably due to the longer life expectancy of  women.5

Senior Life Expectancy Statistics

Genetics as well as a focus on eating well, exercising, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol can contribute to longer lives. Read on for statistics about life expectancy in older adults:

• The average American life expectancy in 2021 was 76.4 years. More precisely, for a child born in 2021, the average expected life span was 79.1 years for females and 73.7 years for males, according to the World Health Organization  (WHO).6
• Soon afterwards in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy increased to 77.5 years.7 Women can expect to live until 80.2 years, while men have a life expectancy of 74.8 years. Differences can be related to income, U.S. region and other demographics.
• Leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer.8
• A 2024 study in JAMA Network found those who were ages 80 and older who had healthy habits and lifestyles were more likely to live until 100.9 So, adapting to a healthy lifestyle — even at a late age — still matters.
• Pew Research says the U.S. centenarian population is the world’s second largest, with Japan having the most centenarians. The UN estimates there are 108,000 Americans ages 100 and older.10
• The current number of centenarians is expected to quadruple in the next 30 years to about 422,000 in 2054.
• In 2054, the global centenarian population is projected to grow to nearly 4 million, with China having the most followed by the US.
• Eighty-five percent of centenarians are women, and among supercentenarians (those ages 110+), women may account for 90 percent.11

Senior Health Statistics

Despite medical advances, senior Americans are still battling many illnesses. Since the COVID-19 epidemic, our country has embraced much more about mental illness and has turned a spotlight on how to improve mental health. Social isolation and loneliness have come to light as major factors negatively affecting about a quarter of seniors’ mental and physical health.

According to the NCOA, other major health conditions negatively impacting seniors today include the following:

• Heart disease remains the top cause of death for Americans, especially for seniors older than 75.
• Arthritis is common among 44 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds and 53.9 percent of those over age 75. Negative associations include pain and reduced mobility as well as other conditions.
• Diabetes now affects 20.1 percent of seniors. Diabetes can cause organ damage and vision loss. People with Type 2 diabetes may also be at greater risk for cancer, depression and dementia.13
• Obesity is problematic in our country. About 42 percent of older Americans ages 60-plus are considered obese. Obesity has doubled in a single generation and is associated with cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, joint problems, cancers and other conditions.
• Most seniors have one or more chronic health care issues. In fact, almost 95 percent of adults 60 and older have at least one chronic condition, and nearly 80 percent have two or more. Conditions range from mild arthritis to advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

Senior Retirement Work and Living Statistics

Seniors are working longer because they don’t have enough for retirement, can’t afford vacations or because they enjoy their work. Some seniors work just to stay productive. Older adults also choose to live in various kinds of housing and in various states. Other facts about older adults’ work and living situations are as follows:

• Many seniors are working beyond the official retirement age, even if they only have a part-time job.
• Projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveal that the role of senior workers will keep growing. Adults ages 65 and older are projected to make up 8.6 percent of the labor force in 2032, which is an increase from 6.6 percent in 2022.14 According to our own senior living industry statistics report, the U.S. has approximately 30,600 assisted living facilities, with 1.2 million licensed beds. There are also 15,300 nursing homes in the country, with 1.6 million licensed beds.
• Nursing homes had 1.2 million residents in 2023.15
• Rather than move to a nursing home or assisted living, many seniors choose in-home care support.
• According to surveys, 76 percent of adults ages 50 and older and 86 percent of seniors ages 65 and older want to age in place and stay in their own home.
• There are about 2,000 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in the U.S.16 Some cater to those in their 50s. The advantage of a CCRC is seamlessly transitioning when assisted care or skilled nursing care is needed.
• The states with the highest percentage of populations that are 65 and older in 2022 were Maine, Florida, Vermont and West Virginia.17
• Older Americans often prefer Florida over other states for retirement. Three reasons include warm weather, no state income tax and the fact that friends have chosen Florida as a residence as well. The highest percentage of seniors actually live in California, Florida and Texas, respectively. The states with the lowest percentage of senior residents are Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the ACL.

Travel Statistics About Seniors

Seniors are undeterred by the high costs of travel and continue to travel for pleasure. According to AARP’s 2024 Travel Trends report,18 here are how older adults are approaching travel today:

• Sixty-five percent of people ages 50 and older plan to travel in 2024.
• About 63 percent of seniors plan to travel domestically within the U.S.
• Roughly 41 percent who are traveling abroad are going to Europe, especially Italy, Spain, Great Britain and France.
• Unique destinations: More American seniors want to visit off-the-beaten-path destinations than in the past.
• Multigenerational travel: A new form of multigenerational travel has become popular. Grandparents are traveling with their children and grandchildren on vacations and enjoying quality time together.
• Wellness retreats: Such retreats have become popular with senior travelers who want to relax and practice self-care.

Senior Social Statistics

Like most, older adults are interested in friendships, relationships and love. Social connection is sometimes more challenging for seniors who’ve lost loved ones, live far from family and may struggle with hearing issues. But improving social connectedness reduces physical and mental health risks. Connecting via phone and social media is helpful. Building new relationships and keeping in touch with loved ones is very important. Statistics about the social sphere for seniors include the following:

• When it comes to social media, about 71 percent of people over age 50 use Facebook.19 See our best social media apps for seniors guide for more information.
• Twenty percent of those ages 50 to 64 and 13 percent of those 65 and older have used a dating site or app.20
• Seniors are on a variety of dating sites. The most seniors can be found on mainstream dating sites, Match.com and eHarmony.com. Sites especially designed for senior adults are also popular and include OurTime.com and SilverSingles.com.
• A survey estimated that 40 percent of seniors ages 65 to 80 are sexually active, and nearly two-thirds are interested in sex.21
• In seniors ages 55 and above, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis more than doubled between the decade 2012 to 2022, according to data from NBC News and the CDC.22

The Benefits of Being a Senior Today

It's great to be a senior today in many ways. Although older adults have to deal with more economic disparity, more divorces and a major caregiver crisis, the poverty rate for seniors has sharply dropped. It was almost 30 percent in 1966 and had decreased to 14 percent in 2022, according to the PRB.

Because of advances in technology, seniors can socialize via apps, use medical alert systems to stay safe, and order food through food delivery services, all from their phones.

Older people are generally happier than their younger counterparts, according to the Center for Retirement Research.23 They can spend time volunteering, seeing loved ones and appreciating their lives. Further, older adults are generally more resilient and have more gratitude than younger and gratitude is associated with a variety of positive health outcomes.

Watch our YouTube video below for more interesting facts about the senior population!