Pennsylvania Celebrates Older American Month
May 7, 1998
Pennsylvania Celebrates Older American Month
Middletown, Pa. May is Older American Month in
the U.S., a time to reflect on the contributions that senior
citizens make to our society and to assess the needs and
issues facing them. "Growing older as a society brings with
it unique opportunities and challenges," said Secretary of
Aging Richard Browdie. "By designating May Older
Pennsylvanians Month, Governor Ridge and I invite all of
you to reflect on these issues as well as the contributions
older Pennsylvanians have made and continue to make to
our communities."
The Pennsylvania State Data Center at Penn State
Harrisburg offers a statistical profile of the citizens aged 65
years and older of Pennsylvania.
Estimates
Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally in the number of
elderly, according to Census Bureau estimates, and second
only to Florida in the proportion of the total population of
the state that is 65 years of age and older. More than 20
percent (20.5) of Pennsylvania's population was 60 years or
older in 1996 and almost 16 percent (15.8) was estimated to
be 65 years or older. The 65+ population in Pennsylvania
has increased steadily over the last half century to the
current estimate of 1,912,220. The number of elderly grew
by 160,621 (4.5 percent) from 1990 to 1996. Approximately
10 percent of the world's population in 1997 is aged 60
years and older.
Pennsylvania counties with the highest number of
elderly were in and surrounding the largest cities including
the counties of Allegheny (233,848), Philadelphia (230,266),
Montgomery (110,232), Delaware (87,618), Westmoreland
(66,581).
Nationally the oldest old (persons 85 years old and
over) are a rapidly growing group, comprising 1.4 percent
(3.8 million) of the American population in 1996. This
population comprised 3.5 million persons in 1994, 28 times
larger than in 1900. From 1960 to 1994, this group
increased 274 percent compared to an increase of 100
percent for persons 65 years old and over, and an increase
of 45 percent for the total population.
Worldwide, women make up a little more than half of
the 60-69 age group, but about two-thirds of those aged 80
and older.
These statistics are consistent with the Pennsylvania.
In 1950, only 4 percent of the Commonwealth's elderly
population were age 85 or older. By 1990, this had
increased to 9.3 percent and by 1996 had increased to 19.6
percent. Furthermore, from 1990 to 1996 the number of the
oldest old (85+ years) grew to 208,113. Philadelphia
County had the largest number of the 85 and older population
with 25,227, followed by Allegheny County (24,491),
Montgomery County (13,353), Delaware county (9,721)
and Lancaster County (7,610).
Projections
With the aging of the baby boomers, 39 percent of
the projected growth in the population by 2025 will be among
those 65 and older. This means that by 2025, 27 states in
the U.S. will have populations where one-fifth or more will be
elderly. Only Florida is close to that level today. And every
state except Alaska and California will have 15 percent or
more of their population 65 and older in 2025, up from 4
states in 1995.
According to Census Bureau projections, the growth
of the elderly population (65 and over) is expected to
accelerate rapidly over the next 30 year period in all states.
The proportion of Pennsylvania's population classified as
elderly is expected to increase from 15.5 percent in 2000 to
21 percent in 2025. As mentioned above, among the 50
states and the District of Columbia, the state had the
second-highest proportion of elderly in 1996 which will slip to
16th-highest proportion in 2025.
In most developing countries worldwide, older women
currently account for more than one in 10 persons. They are
expected to constitute more than one in 7 by 2025 because
of faster declines in fertility. In at least 75 developing
countries, the projected increase in the number of older
women between 1997 and 2025 exceeds 150 percent, while
in many developed countries, the increase is less than 50
percent. The number of women worldwide aged 60 and
over is expected to more than double between now and
2025 to 645 million. This means that worldwide, the number
of older women will be nearly twice the projected total
population of the United States, according to the Census
Bureau.
Projections for Pennsylvania show that the elderly
population will grow 71 percent (1,899,000 to 2,659,000)
from 2000 to 2025 and will increase from slightly over 15
percent of the total population to 20.9 percent.
Race
Of the nation's elderly, in 1994, about 29.8 million
were White; 2.7 million were Black; 615,000 were Asian;
137,000 were American Indian, Eskimo and Aleut and
Pacific Islander and 1.5 million were Hispanic. In time, the
racial and ethnic diversity among the elderly should
increase.
Of Pennsylvania's elderly, in 1996, about 1.8 million
were White; 120,704 were Black; 8,721 were Asian; 1,406
were American Indian, Eskimo and Aleut and Pacific
Islander and 13,742 were Hispanic.
Life Expectancy
The life expectancy for Americans in 1900 was 47
years. This climbed to 68 years in 1950 and 76 years in
1991. The median age at death for Pennsylvania residents
in 1995 was 77.2 years, an increase of four years from the
median age of 73.2 in 1980. Life expectancy for
Pennsylvania women in 1995 was higher than for men (80.4
as opposed to 73.9 years for males), as is the case in
almost all countries.
Leading Cause of Death
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health,
heart disease was the leading cause of death (accounting
for 34.7 percent of the deaths to residents 65-84 years of
age) within the elderly population in 1995. This is followed by
neoplasms (27.6 percent) and cerebrovascular disease (6.4
percent).
For those 85 years and older, 42.6 percent of deaths
were from heart disease, 11.9 percent from malignant
neoplasms, 9.7 percent from cerebrovascular disease and
6.1 percent from pneumonia and influenza. Twice as many
females died from Alzheimer's disease than males in 1995
(604 to 296). Among those aged 35 to 84 years, lung
cancer was the most frequent cause of cancer deaths,
however, for those males 85 and older, prostate cancer
was the most frequent cause of cancer deaths. Lung cancer
was predominant among females 55 to 84 years of age while
more females 85 years and older died of colon cancer than
any other type of cancer in 1995.
Among those 75 years and older, falls were the
leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, accounting for
503 (43.7 percent) of the 1,151 deaths to residents in this
age group in 1995.
Older Workers
Contrary to popular thought, many of Pennsylvania's
elderly are still in the workforce. According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, almost 11 percent (10.8 or 189,000
workers) of the civilian labor force in 1996 was 65 years old
and over with 10.4 percent employed. Of that employed
total, 13.6 percent were male.
"Demographics and market changes are making older
workers an increasingly marketable commodity" stated
Labor and Industry Secretary Johnny J. Butler recently.
"The average age of the labor force, people working or
actively looking for work, is increasing dramatically.
Employers of the 21st century will be looking for older
workers, but with updated skills to meet changing market
needs." Butler said studies show that older workers are
highly rated in experience, judgement, commitment to
quality, turnover, attendance and punctuality. "Hiring older
workers pays off in high performance, high productivity and
higher profits," he said.
Marital Status
Three and one half percent of all marriages in
Pennsylvania in 1995 involved both the bride and groom
being aged 50 years or older. Marriages of both people
being aged 50 to 59 accounted for 1,605 marriages; of both
people aged 60 to 69 accounted for 684 marriages and 319
where both the bride and groom were 70 years old or older.
Poverty Rate
The poverty rate among Pennsylvania's elderly
declined from 25 percent in 1970 to 10.6 percent in 1990.
Among those 75 and older, the poverty rate in 1990 was
13.5. Elderly women were more likely to be poor (13.6
percent) than elderly men (6.1 percent) in 1990.
Counties with the highest elderly poverty rate include;
Sullivan (19.7 percent), Potter (17.4 percent), Fulton (17
percent), Philadelphia (16.3 percent), and Greene (15.9
percent). Counties with the lowest elderly poverty rate
include; Montgomery (5.8 percent), Cumberland (6 percent),
Bucks (6.1 percent), Chester (6.1 percent), and
Northampton (7.4 percent).
Housing
One in five U.S. households was headed by an
elderly person in 1996. The percentage was highest in the
Northeast, lowest in the West.
Florida led the country in the proportion of
householders 65 years old or older with 29 percent, followed
by Pennsylvania (26.4 percent) and West Virginia (26.1
percent). Alaska had the lowest proportion with 9.1 percent
along with Colorado (16.3 percent) and Georgia (17.1
percent).
In Pennsylvania, householders 65 years of age and
older represented the largest group of householders,
followed by people age 35 to 44 (22.2 percent) and those
age 45 to 54 (18.1 percent).
The 1990 census gave a detailed snapshot of the
housing characteristics of the elderly in Pennsylvania. The
elderly accounted for 26.7 percent of all householders.
Almost three-quarters (72.2 percent) lived in a single family
home. More of the elderly in Pennsylvania (41.2 percent)
live in old homes (built before 1940) than in all states
except for Vermont (47.5 percent). The home ownership
rate among Pennsylvania's elderly was 75.9, up 4.1 percent
from 1980.
The state-sponsored Pennsylvania State Data Center
is the Commonwealth's official source of population and
economic statistics and services. It is based at Penn State
Harrisburg's Institute of State and Regional Affairs.
____________________________________________________
Editors: For more information, contact Lesley Nearman at
the Data Center's State Capital Office, (717) 772-2710, or
the Penn State Harrisburg's Public Information Office, (717)
948-6029.
Source of Information: Bureau of Labor Statistics ; PA
Dept of Health, Vital Statistics ;
PA Dept of Labor and Industry ;
U.S. Census Bureau, 1996 Estimates
Accompany Chart: Pennsylvania Population Age 65+, 1996
Accompany Chart: Pennsylvania Population Age 85+, 1996