In 30 years. the number of people reaching age 100 in the U.S. is projected to quadruple, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. The center projects that by 2054, the U.S. will be the home of 422,000 centenarians, up from 101,000 in 2024. And the percentage of the total population that is age 100 or older will increase from 0.03% today to 0.1% in 2054.
The projected increase in super-agers is one sign of the increased health and prosperity of the nation. However, the proportion of these super-agers will be overwhelmingly white, reflecting the recent “life expectancy inequality” that’s been conferring longevity gains mostly to people with above-average educational attainment and wealth. That’s a disturbing trend that should cause concern among our nation’s policymakers.
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