Life expectancy continues to increase with advances in medicine and more people embracing a healthy lifestyle.
Recent data has life expectancy reaching an all-time high of nearly 77 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. For women, life expectancy is 79.5 years, while it’s 74.1 years for men.
Since the last census, those 85 years of age and older showed the highest percentage of increase, representing a 38.5 percent jump from 3.1 million to 4.2 million people.
In 2000, there were 18.4 million people in the United States between ages 65 and 74. People between 75 and 84 years of age numbered 12.4 million, and those 85 and older numbered 4.2 million.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the 65 and older population in this country could increase by nearly 80 percent by 2025, but there will be just 15 percent more working-age adults and 15 percent more children younger than 15.
For more information about trends in the senior population, visit the U.S. Census Web site at www.census.gov.