[Fwd: Profile of Older Americans: 2008]

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--- Profile of Older Americans: 2008

Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:11:29 -0500

Reply-To: Greenberg, Saadia R. (AoA/OE)

To: AOAWEB-L@...

I am pleased to send you a copy of: Profile of Older Americans: 2008.

This annual summary of the latest statistics on the older population

covers 15 topical areas including population, income and poverty, living

arrangements, education, and health. A description of the highlights of

this document is below and the full document is attached.

The Profile has proven to be a very useful statistical summary in a user

friendly format. It is now a web based publication and will be posted

shortly on the AoA web site.

Please share the 2008 Profile with other interested parties.

Saadia Greenberg

Director, Office of Evaluation

Administration on Aging, HHS

saadia.greenberg@...

(voice)

(fax)

<<2008profile.pdf>>

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*Highlights - Profile of Older Americans: 2008*

o The older population (65+) numbered 37.9 million in 2007, an

increase of 3.8 million or 11.2% since 1997.

o The number of Americans aged 45-64 – who will reach 65 over

the next two decades – increased by 38% during this decade.

o Over one in every eight, or 12.6 percent, of the population

is an older American.

o Persons reaching age 65 have an average life expectancy of

an additional 19.0 years (20.3 years for females and 17.4

years for males).

o Older women outnumber older men at 21.9 million older women

to 16.0 million older men.

o In 2007, 19.3% of persons 65+ were minorities--8.3% were

African-Americans.** Persons of Hispanic origin (who may be

of any race) represented 6.6% of the older population. About

3.2% were Asian or Pacific Islander,** and less than 1% were

American Indian or Native Alaskan.** In addition, 0.6% of

persons 65+ identified themselves as being of two or more

races.

o Older men were much more likely to be married than older

women--73% of men vs. 42% of women (Figure 2). 42% older

women in 2007 were widows.

o About 30 percent (10.9 million) of noninstitutionalized

older persons live alone (7.9 million women, 2.9 million men).

o Half of older women (49%) age 75+ live alone.

o About 450,000 grandparents aged 65 or more had the primary

responsibility for their grandchildren who lived with them.

o The population 65 and over will increase from 35 million in

2000 to 40 million in 2010 (a 15% increase) and then to 55

million in 2020 (a 36% increase for that decade).

o The 85+ population is projected to increase from 4.2 million

in 2000 to 5.7 million in 2010 (a 36% increase) and then to

6.6 million in 2020 (a 15% increase for that decade).

o Minority populations are projected to increase from 5.7

million in 2000 (16.3% of the elderly population) to 8.0

million in 2010 (20.1% of the elderly) and then to 12.9

million in 2020 (23.6% of the elderly).

o The median income of older persons in 2007 was $24,323 for

males and $14,021 for females. Median money income (after

adjusting for inflation) of all households headed by older

people did not change in a statistically different amount

from 2006 to 2007. Households containing families headed by

persons 65+ reported a median income in 2007 of $41,851.

o Major sources of income for older people in 2006 were:

Social Security (reported by 89 percent of older persons),

income from assets (reported by 55 percent), private

pensions (reported by 29 percent), government employee

pensions (reported by 14 percent), and earnings (reported by

25 percent).

o Social Security constituted 90% or more of the income

received by 32% of all Social Security beneficiaries (20% of

married couples and 41% of non-married beneficiaries).

o About 3.6 million elderly persons (9.7%) were below the

poverty level in 2007 which is a statistically significant

increase from the poverty rate in 2006 (9.4%).

o About 11% (3.7 million) of older Medicare enrollees received

personal care from a paid or unpaid source in 1999.