EMBARGOED UNTIL: MAY 20, 1996 (MONDAY) AT 11 A.M. Public Information Office CB96-80 301-457-3030 301-457-4067 (TDD) Kevin Kinsella/Bonnie Damon 301-457-2395 Video News Release: Monday, May 20, 2-2:30 p.m. Galaxy 6, Transponder 2 Thursday, May 23, 12-12:30 p.m. Galaxy 4, Transponder 7 CENSUS BUREAU PREDICTS 65+ POPULATION TO DOUBLE IN EIGHT STATES BY 2020 EMBARGOED UNTIL: MAY 20, 1996 (MONDAY)- According to a comprehensive report released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau, eight of the nation's states are projected to double their elderly populations by the year 2020. Seven of the eight states are located in the West, with Nevada topping the list. Georgia was the only state located outside the Western region. In 1993, only one of the eight states (California) had an elderly population over one million. But the Census Bureau projects that, by 2020, four of the eight will have more than one million elderly. Findings from the report entitled "65+ in the United States," P23-190, indicate that Nevada's elderly population would increase the fastest between 1993 and 2020 (by 116 percent), followed by Arizona (112 percent). Colorado, Georgia, Alaska, Washington, Utah, and California will all have increases of at least 100 percent. Eight States With the Fastest Growing Elderly Population: 1993 to 2020 (numbers in thousands) 1993 2020 Percent Change Nevada 155 333 115.6 Arizona 529 1,121 111.9 Colorado 357 743 108.0 Georgia 695 1,419 104.0 Washington 612 1,245 103.5 Alaska 26 54 103.3 Utah 165 334 102.4 California 3,303 6,622 100.5 The report shows that the largest number of America's elderly live in the most populous states. In 1993, nine states nationwide had more than one million elderly. Projections by the Census Bureau indicate that by the year 2020, 19 states will have more than one million elderly residents. Kevin Kinsella, Census Bureau analyst, says, "These data are important because they confirm that states need to prepare their resources for an increasingly aged population. Some states 'age' because of in-migration of elderly, some because of out-migration of the young, and some because of sustained low fertility or some combination of these factors." The report also notes that the elderly of the future will have different social, demographic, health, and economic characteristics than today's elderly. The income and poverty picture for the elderly is mixed. In general, the elderly have more assets than the non-elderly. Although 35 percent of the elderly were poor in 1959, by 1992, the proportion had dropped to 13 percent. However, the poverty rates in 1992 were still relatively high for elderly African Americans (33 percent) and elderly Hispanics (22 percent). Preparation of this report was supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health. According to Richard Suzman, head of NIA's Office of the Demography of Aging, "The aging of the population is changing American society in fundamental ways. Researchers must make every effort to understand these demographic changes in order to help plan for the future, especially for the rapidly growing numbers of very old individuals." Other highlights of the report include: - In 1994, there were 33.2 million elderly Americans (aged 65 or older), one-eighth of the country's total population. Among the elderly, 18.7 million were aged 65 to 74, 11 million were 75 to 84, and 3.5 million were 85 or older. - The "oldest old" (persons aged 85 and over) are the most rapidly growing age group. From 1960 to 1994, they increased by 274 percent, compared with a doubling of those 65 and over, and 45 percent growth for the total population. The oldest old population is expected to double in size by 2020, reaching 7 million that year. - Women make up a growing share of the older labor force (55 years and over), rising from 23 percent in 1950 to 44 percent in 1993. - Thirty nations had elderly populations of at least 2 million in 1994. The United States ranked third (33.2 million), India was second (36.3 million), and Mainland China was first (71.1 million). The 200-page report provides information about the elderly population by state and county, and on social, economic, and health characteristics. It also shows data on the age of the elderly in selected nations of the world.-X-Editor's Note: media representatives may obtain copies of the report from the Census Bureau's Public Information Office on 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov. Other orders should be directed to the bureau's FastFax: 1-900-555-2Fax (there is a nominal fee); Customer Services Branch on 301-763-INFO(4636); or fax: 301-457-3842.
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