31 December 2009 – Number of people aged 100 and over to double in next 10 years
Next year there will be 12,000 people aged 100 or over in the UK. In 10 years time this will have nearly doubled to 22,000.
In 2010 there are will be around 12 million pensioners in the UK, rising to 16 million by 2050.
And the number of people aged 100 or over will increase from around 12,000 to 280,000 in the same period.
Department of Work and Pensions Minister Lord McKenzie said:
"It is clear that in the coming years an older society offers great opportunities as well as challenges.
"Opportunities for those in retirement to continue working, learning and contributing to society, but challenges around how best to support this group. Over the last few years we have built the foundations that will allow us to respond to these challenges.
"The biggest changes to pensions for a generation will mean that millions of people will be saving for their retirement, many for the first time. While our changes to the state pension will make it fairer and sustainable for the long term.
"Along with other proposals to deal with an ageing society - in particular our vision for a new care and support system - we are already working to meet the challenges and aspirations of an older population, both now and in the years to come."
Notes to Editors
Government action on the ageing society:
- Pension reforms to make the state pension fairer, more generous and more widely available and help millions more to save in a workplace pension.
- Outlaw discrimination on the grounds of age through the Equality Bill.
- Change the way social care is funded and delivered.
- Work with local authorities to improve services for older people and with employers to encourage more flexible work opportunities.
Number of Pensioners:
| Men | Women | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10,788,000 | 3,878,000 | 6,911,000 |
| 2009 | 11,997,000 | 4,419,000 | 7,578,000 |
| 2010 | 12,148,000 | 4,526,000 | 7,622,000 |
| 2011 | 12,178,000 | 4,639,000 | 7,539,000 |
| 2020 | 12,686,000 | 5,784,000 | 6,902,000 |
| 2030 | 14,678,000 | 6,720,000 | 7,957,000 |
| 2040 | 16,228,000 | 7,409,000 | 8,819,000 |
| 2050 | 16,156,000 | 7,386,000 | 8,770,000 |
Number of 100 year olds and over:
2010: 12,000
2020: 22,000
2030: 59,000
2041: 155,000
2051: 281,000
The data is available here (estimated (2000) and projected (2010-2051) figures):
Population Estimates:
- http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106
- National Population Projections:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8519
Pensioners are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Media Enquiries: 0203 267 5120
Out of hours: 07659 108 883
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
