The U.S. Census Bureau projects the number of Americans ages 100 and older to more than quadruple over the next three decades, from an estimated 101,000 in 2024 to about 422,000 in 2054, according to a recent paper published by the Pew Research Center.
By the numbers: In the last three decades alone, the U.S. centenarian population has nearly tripled. The 1990 census counted around 37,000 centenarians in the country.
- In 2024, 78% of centenarians are women, and 22% are men.
There are 62 million adults ages 65 and older living in the U.S., accounting for 18% of the population. By 2054, 84 million adults ages 65 and older will make up an estimated 23% of the population.
Why it matters: Amid rising longevity, a blog post published by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College highlighted the need to employ more caregivers, improve opportunities for saving for retirement, and fixing the financial solvency of Social Security and Medicare.