Most Older Americans Living Longer and Better
US News & World Report, March 27th, 2008
Older Americans are living longer than ever and enjoying better health and financial security, a new report finds.
Yet there continue to be lingering disparities between racial and ethnic groups.
In 2006, there were an estimated 37 million Americans 65 and older
-- 2 percent of the population. By 2030, it's estimated at 71.5 million
people will be 65 and older -- almost 20 percent of the population,
according to the report, Older Americans 2008: Key Indicators of Well-Being.
"This report comes at a critical time," Edward Sondik, director of
the National Center for Health Statistics, said Thursday in a prepared
statement. "As the baby boomers age and America's older population
grows larger and more diverse, community leaders, policymakers and
researchers have an even greater need for reliable data to understand
where older Americans stand today and what they may face tomorrow."
The report examined five broad areas of well-being: economics, health status, health risks and behaviors and health care.
Even though life expectancy for Americans continues to increase for
those 65 years of age, it is lower than in countries such as Canada,
France Japan and Sweden. For example, Japanese women 65 years of age
live 3.2 years longer than women in the United States. Among men, the
difference is 1.2 years, according to the report.
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