Retirement 2026 by the Numbers
The New York Times••business
Key Points:
- By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older, and by 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time, signaling a significant demographic shift in the U.S.
- This aging trend is impacting various sectors of the economy, including labor force participation, retirement savings, Social Security, Medicare, healthcare spending, housing, and financial services.
- Retirement ages are increasing, with men retiring at an average age of 64 and women at 62.6 in 2024, reflecting changes in workforce participation and economic factors over recent decades.
- The average age for claiming Social Security benefits has also risen by about two years since the mid-1990s, with the pandemic enabling some older workers to
