Demography the science of population dynamics Focus of Demography 1 Focuses at the level of the society rather than micro level of the individual 2 Focuses on large broad statistical groups within and across populations 3 Demographic info represents statistical generalizations there are exceptions to these generalizations Population of Primary Concern for Gerontology Population of primary concern is people aged 65 years 65 years has been used to identify the older population in most demographic gerontological studies Sub Groups of the Elderly there are substantial differences in elderly people 1 Young Old the frisky aged 65 74 2 Old Old the frail aged 75 84 3 Oldest Old the fragile aged 85 o Most rapidly growing elderly group o By 2050 population will be 19 million representing 24 of the elderly 5 of US Longevity embraces both length of life and quality of life Public is interested in extending life as seen in the increased number of anti aging or life extending supplements Life Expectancy statistical projection of the length of an individual s life span These probabilities are based upon living conditions medical discoveries natural disasters and other factors 2 Types of Life Expectancy Projections 1 Life Expectancy at Birth Projects the average number of years of life for all persons born in a specific year o o Life expectancy at birth has increased since 1900 more than 30 1900 43 yrs 2000 76 yrs 2007 77 yrs o 2 Age Specific Life Expectancy o o projects the average years of life remaining for an individual of a given age since 1900 life expectancy at age 65 has not increased substantially compared to that at birth Average Life Expectancy at age 65 1900 11 9 yrs 2000 18 yrs 2007 18 6 yrs Age Composition of the US Population population each decade Number of elderly Americans has increased drastically since 1900 represent larger portion of total The number of people over the age of 100 is also growing represents 0 2 of elderly By 2050 there will be over 1 million centenarians Centenarians Gender Elderly There are more elderly woman than elderly men The female to male ratio increases with age Men have higher mortality rates than women at EVERY AGE Gender Differences in Marital Status Most elderly men are married but most elderly women are widowed only 4 men women not married Over 4 times as many widows as widowers Older men much more likely to be married than women 72 men 42 women Divorced separated older persons represents only 11 9 but this has been increasing The elderly population is becoming more diverse The number of minorities is projected to increase by 4 from 2000 to 2010 Minority Populations Living Arrangements Elderly women are much more likely than men to live alone there is a scarcity of single elderly men About 30 of noninstitutionalized elderly people live alone Half of the older women over age 75 live alone 8 in 10 noninstitutionalized elderly who lived alone were women Sources of Income Major source of income was SOCIAL SECURITY reported by 87 elderly Government employee pensions 14 Income from assets 54 Private pensions 28 Earnings 25 Constitutes 90 or more of the income received by 34 of beneficiaries 21 of married couples 43 non married beneficiaries Nearly 9 of elderly persons were below the poverty level and this rate is increasing 3 Basic Demographic Processes to understand population dynamics Social Security Poverty Level 1 Fertility 2 Mortality 3 Immigration 3 Demographic Indicators 1 Dependency Ratio o Demographic changes have particular significance for economic arrangements o Social security is the basic public pension The primary function is to provide at least minimum income o The ratio is the number of dependent individuals divided by the number of self supportive or working individuals 2 Sex Ratio o The number of males per 100 females in a population o The general ratio is less than 1 0 because women tend to outlive men o The later the stage in the life cycle the fewer the number of males 3 Birth Cohort o All individuals born in a particular period of time o Born in a particular historical period raised in a particular historical milieu o From the moment of birth represent a particular configuration of demographic characteristics Relative Growth of Elderly Total population will increase 3x but elderly population will increase 11x California has the largest NUMBER of elderly people Most populous states have the largest NUMBER of elderly Cal Fla NY PA TX OH ILL MI NJ Florida has the highest PERCENTAGE of elderly people Baby Boomers a person who was born during 1946 and 1964 post World War II Researchers try to determine cultural similarities and historical impact Too young to remember world war II but old enough to remember post war prosperity Enormous Birth Cohort 76 4 million baby boomers over 4 million annual births In 2000 35 million were aged 65 years and older This will increase to 70 million by 2030 and comprise 25 30 of the population Boomer Life Expectancy Average baby boomer will live to be 83 years old have 30 years of retirement A 65 year old man has 1 in 4 chance to be 92 yrs old and women has 1 in 4 chance to be 94 Attributes of Boomers Associated with rejection or redefinition of traditional values Widely associated with privilege many grew up in a time of affluence Were the healthiest and wealthiest generation to that time expected world to improve with time Special Generation Boomers thought of themselves as a special generation very different from those before As teens they created very specific rhetoric around their cohort This rhetoric had an impact on self perceptions as well as their tendency to define the world in terms of generations a relatively new phenomenon Boomers Media Boomers favorite music rock and roll was another expression of their identity Transistor radios allowed them to listen to The Beatles Motown sound First generation of western countries to grow up with TV Brady Bunch Gilligan s Island Happy Days Boomers Family Boomers are more distant to their parents than their children are to them Many boomers are dotting helicopter parents to their children 40 boomers said their life would be better without their parents Economic Impact of Boomers In 2011 baby boomers controlled over 80 of personal assets and 50 of discretional spending power Responsible for over half of all consumer spending buy 77 of prescription drugs 80 leisure travel Baby Boomer Cohort 1 Experimental individualism free spirited social cause oriented