A new report by the Census Bureau and The National Institute on Aging shows that even as Americans are living longer, a smaller percentage are working past age 65 than 50 years ago.
Among the highlights of “65+ in the United States: 2005”:
* There are about 35 million Americans 65 and older, a number that is projected to more than double by 2030.
* About 19 percent of men 65 and older participated in the labor force in 2003, down from 46 percent in 1950.
* The overall percentage of women in the labor force has grown significantly since 1950. But among women 65 and older, the percentage has remained relatively steady at about 10 percent.
* The median age – the one in which half the population is older and half is younger – was 35.3 in 2000, up from 22.9 in 1900. It is projected to increase to 39 by 2030.
* Of the 1.8 million senior citizens who died in 2000, a third of the deaths were caused by heart disease and 22 percent were caused by cancer.
* About 80 percent of seniors have at least one chronic health problem, and about half have at least two. Arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and respiratory disorders are among the leading ailments that restrict activity.
* About 10 percent of seniors lived below the poverty level in 2003, down from 35 percent in 1959.
* The states with the highest proportions of senior citizens are Florida (17.6 percent), Pennsylvania (15.6 percent) and West Virginia (15.3 percent).
* About 59 percent of seniors are women.
* Older men are much more likely to be married than older women. About 71 percent of men 65 and older are married, compared with 41 percent of women.
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