ACL's work has never been more important.
In 2019, there were 54.1 million people age 65 and older (up from 39.6 million in 2009). The population is projected to reach 80.8 million by 2040 and 94.7 million by 2060. All but a tiny percentage of them live in non-institutional settings, as do more than 61 million people with disabilities. Both populations are growing, and older Americans are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country.
Since 1900, the percentage of Americans age 65 and older nearly quadrupled (from 4.1% in 1900 to 16% in 2019), and the number increased more than 17 times (from 3.1 million to 54.1 million). The older population itself became increasingly older. In 2019, the 65-74 age group (31.5 million) was more than 14 times larger than in 1900 (2,19 million); the 75-84 group (16 million) was 20 times larger (771,000), and the 85+ group (6.6 million) was more than 53 times larger (122,000).