According to the World Health Organization, there were 600 million people aged 60 and over in the year 2000. This number will increase to 1.2 billion by 2025 and 2 billion by 2050. Today, about two thirds of all older people are living in the developing world and by 2025, it will be 75%.
The United States is on the brink of a longevity revolution. By 2030, the number of older Americans will have more than doubled to 70 million, or one in every five Americans. The growing number and proportion of older adults, places increasing demands on the public health system and on medical and social services. In just 10 years, spending on the elderly will total nearly $1.8 trillion, almost half the federal budget, according to new Brookings Institution and Congressional Budget Office projections.
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