Statistics -- Age and Aging

U.S.

Global

Assorted Reports


U.S. data

AARP Policy & Research: Statistics

Lots and lots of different statistical reports here. These are all 2006 and newer:


AgingStats.gov: Ongoing Federal Data Resources Relevant to the Study of the Aging

The following provides descriptions of and links to the web sites of ongoing, federally sponsored surveys relevant to the aging. The surveys cover the range of concerns of the aging and are supported by a variety of federal agencies and departments.

2008 Older American Update: Key Indicators of Wellness

Data Sources on Older Americans 2006 (PDF)


CDC: Trends in Health and Aging (supported by the National Institute on Aging)

On our site you will find tables on trends in the health of older Americans showing data by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin. The tables are easy to customize.

Center for Retirement Research: Frequently Requested Data

Our "frequently requested data" provide answers to commonly asked retirement income questions. Below, you will find both illustrations and raw data, and we encourage you to use these in your own research or coverage of retirement income issues.
+ Percentage of House Value That Could Be Borrowed Through Reverse Mortgage at Ages 65, 75, and 85, 1975-2005 + Eligibility and Participation in 401(k) Plans by Age, 2001 and 2004 + Home Ownership Rates by Age + Retirement Period of Males, 1950-2050 + Wealth Holdings of a Typical Household Prior to Retirement, Survey of Consumer Finances 2004 + Social Security Replacement Rates for Medium Earner Retiring at Age 65, 2002 and 2030 + Average Retirement Age for Men, 1961-2004 + Pension Sponsorship and Participation, 1979-2004 + Private Workers with Pension Coverage, By Pension Type, 1980, 1992, and 2004
MedlinePlus -- Seniors' Health: Statistics

Reports corralled from several different agencies.


National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (National Institute on Aging)
The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), located within ICPSR, is funded by the National Institute on Aging. NACDA's mission is to advance research on aging by helping researchers to profit from the under-exploited potential of a broad range of datasets. NACDA acquires and preserves data relevant to gerontological research, processing as needed to promote effective research use, disseminates them to researchers, and facilitates their use. By preserving and making available the largest library of electronic data on aging in the United States, NACDA offers opportunities for secondary analysis on major issues of scientific and policy relevance.

Social Security Administration, Office of Policy

The Office of Policy is the agency's source for statistics on the impact and operations of the OASDI (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) programs and on the earnings of the working and beneficiary populations. This function involves developing and maintaining a series of detailed statistical databases, preparing a broad range of statistical tables, producing statistical compilations and publications both in print and on the Internet, and developing information for special requests on current policy issues.
Items of special interest include:

U.S. Census Bureau: Age Data

National, state and county level data available, as well as lots of reports, fact sheets, wall posters, etc.

Also -- 2007/2008 Older Worker Profiles


Global data


Australia Institute of Family Studies -- Trends and Statistics: Aged

Charts, tables, reports, etc.


Australian Bureau of Statistics: Ageing
Population ageing - where older age groups make up an increasing proportion of the population - is occurring in Australia and most developed countries. Australia’s population is projected to age rapidly over the next several decades. The main factors driving the change are declining fertility rates, increases in life expectancy, and shifts in the level and composition of migration. Changes associated with population ageing impact on all aspects of social and economic life. This theme page provides a guide to ABS data on the ageing of the Australian population, and relevant non-ABS sites. This theme page is administered by the National Ageing Statistics Unit on behalf of the many areas of the ABS which produce ageing-relevant statistics.

Economic and Social Research Council: Aging in the UK
This ESRC fact sheet provides a statistical overview of ageing and the elderly in the UK. It is designed to introduce the topic rather than be a comprehensive summary.

Global Action on Aging
Global Action on Aging (GAA), based in New York at the United Nations, reports on older people's needs and potential within the global economy. It advocates by, with and for older persons worldwide.
The Quick Access page is divided into several sections: Pension Watch, Health, Elder Rights, Rural Aging, Armed Conflict $ Emergency Situations, Aging Watch at the United Nations, all of which draw on related resources -- news, data, reports, etc. -- from around the world. It's worth poking around here because there's good content. The simple search function is hit-or-miss.

National Statistics Online: Pensioners Income Series

Income consists of five components: occupational pensions, investment income, earnings, total benefit income and other sources. Information on the receipt of individual benefits is not published, but there are tables on receipt of means-tested benefits, disability benefits and retirement benefits. Breakdowns are provided for couples, singles, single men, single women, recently retired, under 75s, over75s and all pensioner units. Non-householders are not covered by the series.

Statistics Canada: Seniors
Characteristics of seniors in Canada: topics include care and social support, victimization, health, living arrangements, income, time use, and retirement.

Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe: Publications

The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) is a multidisciplinary and cross-national database of micro data on health, socioeconomic status and social and family networks of individuals aged 50 or over. Eleven countries have contributed data to the 2004 SHARE baseline study. They are a balanced representation of the various regions in Europe, ranging from Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden) through Central Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands) to the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy and Greece). Further data have been collected in 2005-06 in Israel. Two 'new' EU member states - the Czech Republic and Poland - as well as Ireland have joined SHARE in 2006 and will participate in the second wave of data collection, which was conducted from fall 2006 through summer 2007.
Survey results are available as a zipped PDF. Site offers a long list of other publications, many available online (in English) as PDFs, including:

Assorted Reports: (PDFs)

Age and Aging category on DocuTicker

  • How Many Struggle to Get by In Retirement? (Urban Institute, March 2008)
  • Hispanics Age 65 and Older: Sources of Retirement Income in 2005 (AARP Policy & Research, September 2007)
  • Income Security and Stability During Retirement in Canada (Statistics Canada, March 2008)
  • Living Arrangements, Health and Well Being: a European Perspective (Economic & Social Research Council, November 2007)
  • Mortality of Americans Age 65 and Older: 1980 to 2004 (Congressional Research Service, August 2007)
  • Nonfatal Self-Inflicted Injuries Among Adults Aged >65 Years — United States, 2005 (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 2007)
  • Older People and Credit Card Fraud (Australian Institute of Criminology, August 2007)
  • Older Women Workers, ages 55 and over, 2007 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008)
  • Pew Study Finds States Face $2.73 Trillion Bill for Retiree Benefits (Pew Center for the States, December 2007)
  • Prevalence of Dementia in the United States: The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (Neuroepidemiology, October 2007)
  • The Role of IRAs in U.S. Households’ Saving for Retirement (Investment Company Institute, January 2008)
  • Self-Reported Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Persons Aged >65 Years — United States, 2006 (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 2008)
  • Seniors as Victims of Crime 2004 and 2005 (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, March 2007)
  • UN Briefing Series: Major Developments and Trends in Global Aging (AARP International, February 2007)

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