U.S. gets older faster

Name: WORLD
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Residents drive golf carts through the Lake Sumter Landing Market Square on Aug. 12, 2021, in The Villages, Fla. Sumter County, Fla., had the highest median age at 68.5, while Utah County, home to Provo, Utah, had the lowest at 25.9. Associated Press/Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack, File

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2010 and 2020, the share of the United States population that’s 65 and older grew the fastest since the decade from 1880 to 1890. The number of senior citizens grew nearly five times faster than the total population. One of the contributing factors was the declining number of children younger than 5. Birth rates plunged after the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 and haven’t recovered. This raised the median age in the U.S. from 37.2 to 38.8.

How does this compare to other countries? According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. remained relatively young compared to other countries. In the U.S., there are about 55.8 million people over 65, or 16.8 percent of the population, putting it behind 33 countries on the bureau’s list. Japan had the highest percentage of senior citizens at 28.5 percent, with Italy at 22.6.

Dig deeper: Read Brad Littlejohn’s column in WORLD Opinions calling Europe’s potential pension crises a warning to the U.S.