Wednesday, May 6, 2015

"Middle age now lasts until 74 as baby boomers refuse to grow old"

Sarah Knapton writes:
New research suggests that old age now starts at 74, with middle age lasting at least nine years longer than current estimates.
Academics from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, Austria, argue that old age should be measured not by age, but by how long people have left to live.
In the 1950s a 65-year-old in Britain could expect to live a further 15 years.
But today’s baby boomers are expected to live far longer after retirement. A recent estimate by the Office for National Statistics suggests that the average retiree can look forward to drawing their pension for up to 24 years – as much as 50 per cent longer than their parents’ generation.
Researchers say that old age should be defined as having 15 or fewer years left to live, which for the baby boomers means that they are still middle aged until their 74th year.
“If you don't consider people old just because they reached age 65 but instead take into account how long they have left to live, then the faster the increase in life expectancy, the less aging is actually going on,” said Sergei Scherbov, World Population Program Deputy Director, at IIASA.
“Older people in the future will have many characteristics exhibited by younger people today.
“What we think of as old has changed over time, and it will need to continue changing in the future as people live longer, healthier lives. 200 years ago, a 60-year-old would be a very old person. Someone who is 60 years old today, I would argue is middle aged.”

This is great for "people." Not so great for the Social Security system.


  1. Replies
    1. Exactly my thought. I'll probably have to work until I drop dead.

    2. I plan to retire comfortably when I am 91!