Who are Americans 65 and older?
There are some interesting findings from the The U.S. Census Bureau report using 2010 data. A few Post 50 highlights below, as well as graphs that show much more.
The average 65-year-old woman can expect to live another 20.3 years (to roughly age 85) and the average 65-year-old man is forecasted to live another 17.7 years (to about age 83).
The percentage of people 65 and older killed by heart disease dropped dramatically from 2000 (from 33 percent to 26.5 percent), but the percentage who died from cancer has risen slightly (from 21.8 percent to 22.1 percent) and the percentage who died from Alzheimer’s has soared (from 2.7 percent in 2000 to 4.6 percent in 2010).
The percentage of people 65 and older who are widows and widowers has dropped significantly since 1960, however, when roughly 53 percent of women that age were widows and 19 percent of men were.
If you want the full 192 page report, click here.
