News
August 2008
More pensioners than children for the first time
The Office for National Statistics revealed on 21 August that, for the first time, the number of pensioners in the UK has surpassed the number of children aged under 16.
The number of people of state pensionable age – currently over 65 for men and over 60 for women – rose to 11.58 million last year, topping the 11.5 million residents under age 16. Each group represents approximately 19 per cent of the population.
Medical advances have enabled more people to live longer. Over 80s are the fastest-growing age group, accounting for 2.7 million members, or 4.5 per cent, of the population.
Since 1981, the number of elderly Britons has risen by approximately 1.2 million.
The data supports Full of Life, a campaign recently launched by the Department for Work and Pensions, which celebrates the role older people play in society and challenges outdated stereotypes of what it means to be old.