47 Healthy Aging Statistics

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These healthy aging figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key Healthy Aging Statistics

The main findings are:

  • At least 14% of people aged 60 and older—more than 142 million people—were unable to meet all basic daily needs in the WHO 2020 baseline estimate (Global, age 60+).
  • Global life expectancy at birth fell 1.8 years between 2019 and 2021, to 71.4 years (2019–2021).
  • The United States had 6.1 million adults aged 85 and older in 2023 (United States, age 85+).
  • Only 13.9% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical-activity guidelines in 2022 (United States, age 65+).
  • An estimated 57 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021.
  • In 2021, about 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, had a disability.
  • Global healthy life expectancy at birth fell 1.5 years between 2019 and 2021, to 61.9 years (2019–2021).
  • The U.S. population aged 85 and older is projected to reach 13.7 million by 2040 (2040 projection; United States, age 85+).
  • Federal guidance for older adults includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity-equivalent aerobic activity per week (2018 guideline referenced in 2022 report; United States adults, including age 65+).
  • More than 60% of people living with dementia in 2021 lived in low- and middle-income countries (Global dementia population).
  • The WHO 2020 baseline report is 187 pages long and addresses five major issues, including the 2020 baseline and expected improvement by 2030 (2020 report).
  • Life expectancy in the WHO Americas and South-East Asia regions fell by approximately 3 years between 2019 and 2021 (2019–2021).
  • The U.S. population aged 85 and older is projected to more than double from 2023 to 2040 (2023–2040 projection; United States, age 85+).
  • In 2020, 27.6% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older reported at least one fall in the prior year (United States, age 65+).
  • Nearly 10 million new dementia cases occur worldwide each year (Annual estimate).

Contents

Healthy aging statistics: global population scale and functional ability

  • At least 14% of people aged 60 and older—more than 142 million people—were unable to meet all basic daily needs in the WHO 2020 baseline estimate (Global, age 60+). (WHO launches Baseline report for…)
  • In 2021, about 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, had a disability. (COVID-19 eliminated a decade of…)
  • The WHO 2020 baseline report is 187 pages long and addresses five major issues, including the 2020 baseline and expected improvement by 2030 (2020 report). (WHO launches Baseline report for…)

WHO baseline estimate; inability to meet all basic daily needs is narrower than the full healthy-ageing construct.

Disability is broader than older-age healthy ageing and includes all ages.

Report structure, not a health outcome.

Pandemic-period change in period life expectancy at birth.

HALE is a population summary measure incorporating mortality and disability; pandemic-period change.

Regional aggregate during the COVID-19 period.

Regional HALE aggregate during the COVID-19 period.

Regional aggregate; rounded bound reported by WHO.

Regional HALE aggregate; rounded value.

All-age obesity count, included as a broad healthy-longevity risk context rather than an older-adult measure.

Healthy aging statistics: chronic conditions and multimorbidity in the oldest adults

  • The United States had 6.1 million adults aged 85 and older in 2023 (United States, age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • The U.S. population aged 85 and older is projected to reach 13.7 million by 2040 (2040 projection; United States, age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • The U.S. population aged 85 and older is projected to more than double from 2023 to 2040 (2023–2040 projection; United States, age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, hypertension prevalence was 66.9% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, arthritis prevalence was 55.9% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, high-cholesterol prevalence was 46.5% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, cancer prevalence was 32.9% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, heart-disease prevalence was 28.3% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, diabetes prevalence was 16.3% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, stroke prevalence was 13.3% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, dementia prevalence was 12.1% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, depression prevalence was 13.2% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, COPD/emphysema/chronic bronchitis prevalence was 10.6% in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, 7.4% reported none of 11 selected chronic conditions in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, 12.1% reported one selected chronic condition in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, 20.8% reported two selected chronic conditions in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, 22.3% reported three selected chronic conditions in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)
  • Among U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 85 and older, 37.3% reported four or more selected chronic conditions in 2022–2023 (United States, civilian noninstitutionalized age 85+). (Chronic Conditions in Adults Age…)

Population count, not a health-status measure.

Census projection; future demographic estimate, not observed prevalence.

Derived wording from the report’s projection; not a health outcome.

NHIS self-report of ever being told by a clinician; excludes institutionalized adults.

NHIS self-report; excludes institutionalized adults.

NHIS self-report of ever diagnosed cancer; excludes institutionalized adults.

Includes coronary heart disease, angina or heart attack; NHIS self-report and noninstitutionalized population.

NHIS self-report of clinician diagnosis; excludes institutionalized adults.

Combined condition definition; NHIS self-report and noninstitutionalized population.

Only the report’s 11 selected conditions are counted; this is not absence of all disease.

Count is limited to 11 selected conditions.

Healthy aging statistics: physical activity, falls and injury prevention

  • Only 13.9% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical-activity guidelines in 2022 (United States, age 65+). (Physical Activity Among Adults Aged…)
  • Federal guidance for older adults includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity-equivalent aerobic activity per week (2018 guideline referenced in 2022 report; United States adults, including age 65+). (Physical Activity Among Adults Aged…)
  • In 2020, 27.6% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older reported at least one fall in the prior year (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2020, 28.9% of U.S. women aged 65 and older reported a fall in the prior year (United States women, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2020, 26.1% of U.S. men aged 65 and older reported a fall in the prior year (United States men, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2020, state-level fall prevalence among U.S. adults aged 65 and older ranged from 19.9% in Illinois to 38.0% in Alaska (U.S. states, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2021, 38,742 U.S. adults aged 65 and older died from unintentional falls, a rate of 78.0 per 100,000 (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2021, the unintentional fall-death rate was 91.4 per 100,000 for U.S. men aged 65 and older versus 68.3 for women (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2021, U.S. state fall-death rates ranged from 30.7 per 100,000 in Alabama to 176.5 in Wisconsin among adults aged 65 and older (U.S. states, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2021, the fall-death rate rose sharply by age group: 19.0 per 100,000 at ages 65–74, 74.9 at 75–84, and 338.0 at 85 and older (United States, age 65+ by age group). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • CDC estimated approximately $50 billion in annual medical costs from nonfatal and fatal falls among U.S. adults aged 65 and older (Annual estimate cited in 2023 report; United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2018, about 3 million emergency-department visits among U.S. adults aged 65 and older resulted from fall-related injuries (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2018, more than 950,000 hospitalizations or transfers among U.S. adults aged 65 and older resulted from fall-related injuries (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)
  • In 2018, 10.2% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older reported a fall-related injury during the prior year (United States, age 65+). (Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among…)

Age-adjusted NHIS estimate; leisure-time activity and self-report definitions apply.

Guideline target, not observed adherence; actual recommendations also include strengthening and balance components.

Age-adjusted BRFSS self-report among noninstitutionalized adults.

Age-adjusted BRFSS self-report; noninstitutionalized population.

Age-adjusted state estimates; differences may reflect population and access factors.

National Vital Statistics System mortality data; death rate is age-adjusted.

Age-adjusted mortality rates; sex comparison does not establish cause.

Age-adjusted state mortality rates; geographic variation has multiple possible explanations.

Age-adjusted rates within the report’s age strata; mortality, not fall incidence.

Cost estimate cited by CDC; includes medical costs and is not a total societal cost.

Older CDC MMWR estimate; nonfatal fall-related emergency visits.

Older CDC estimate; hospitalizations/transfers rather than unique individuals.

BRFSS self-report; excludes nursing-home residents.

Healthy aging statistics: dementia, prevention and preventive care

  • An estimated 57 million people worldwide were living with dementia in 2021. (Dementia)
  • More than 60% of people living with dementia in 2021 lived in low- and middle-income countries (Global dementia population). (Dementia)
  • Nearly 10 million new dementia cases occur worldwide each year (Annual estimate). (Dementia)
  • Alzheimer disease may account for 60%–70% of dementia cases (WHO fact-sheet estimate; Global dementia cases). (Dementia)
  • Young-onset dementia, with symptoms beginning before age 65, accounts for up to 9% of dementia cases (WHO fact-sheet estimate; Global dementia cases). (Dementia)

WHO global estimate; dementia is not synonymous with normal ageing.

WHO estimate; country-income classification applies.

WHO annual estimate; incidence is not a count of unique people living with dementia.

Range and wording reflect WHO; Alzheimer disease is one cause within the broader dementia category.

Age at symptom onset differs from age at diagnosis; reported as an upper bound.

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