Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging
The public narrative is that the United States population is getting older. This is, indeed, true. We have more people over age 50 than we have ever had in our country—both in total numbers and in the share of the population. The numbers of older people will continue to grow, all the way up until the projections stop at the year 2100. Many have asked, “What will we do with all of these older people?”
Yet the full story is more complex. Using these same numbers, we can see a historic shift: For the first time, we have nearly equal numbers of people at every single year of age until about age 70. So, what if we instead asked, “How will we engage people across the life course?”
Use the interactive chart below to explore how the age composition of the United States changes between 1900 and 2100. First, observe the trends for the population aged 50 and over. Then, examine the breakdown in five-year age groups. How might these different perspectives change our view of aging societies?
Explore an aging population
Hover over an age group to view details about the population estimate in each U.S. Census year. Tap the chart to view details about the population in each year for the selected age group.
We need to rethink what it means to be “older.” As the graphic shows, grouping everyone over 50 into a single category ignores the vast differences by age. The average 50-year-old is different than the average 90-year-old. Many 65-year-olds are healthy while many are not. And some 75-year-olds are still working, defying ideas about what retirement looks like. On the flip side, many younger people need services and supports that we associate with older people's needs. To build a thriving society, we must move past rigid age labels and focus on creating communities where people of all ages and abilities can participate.
We used estimates (of the past) and projections (into the future) of the United States population at 25-year intervals from the U.S. Census Bureau, grouping the data into 5-year age categories.
1900 to 1975 estimates: U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). National Intercensal Tables: 1900-1990. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/pre-1980-national.html
2000 estimates: U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). National Intercensal Tables: 1990-2000 [Statistics from April 2000]. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-national.html
2025 to 2100 projections: U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). 2023 National Population Projections Datasets. https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2023/demo/popproj/2023-popproj.html
All authors are based at Washington University in St. Louis.
Cal J. Halvorsen, PhD, MSW is an associate professor at both the Brown School of Social Work and the Bursky School of Public Health and a senior fellow at the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging.
Logan Fox is a research assistant with the Center for Aging.
Tim B. Zielonko, BFA, ScB is the data visualization manager for the Office of Innovation at the Bursky School of Public Health.
Halvorsen, C., Fox, L., & Zielonko, T. (2026, July). The most age-diverse society in our country's history. Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University in St. Louis. https://agediversesociety.centerforaging.wustl.edu/
To view a printable PDF of this content, visit: https://doi.org/10.7936/5239-2q87.