Interior

We're Living Longer

Life expectancy is growing. Today we’re celebrating more centenarians than ever before, in the U.S., and around the globe. Our ability to live longer, healthier, more productive lives is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments. Consider this:

In 2010, 82.8% of all centenarians in the U.S. were female¹

In countries aging the best, half of 10-year-olds today may live to be 104²

70% of 8-year-olds are projected to have a living great-grandparent by 2030³

The New Normal

Preparing (individually and as a society) is exciting and, in some ways, scary. It’s about moving away from a “three-stage” life—school, work, and retirement—to a more flexible one. And this “new lifetime” also comes with challenges. For starters, not everyone has an equal chance to live longer, let alone capture the associated opportunities. AARP wants to make sure that everyone has equal access to resources we all need to live longer, healthier lives.

Redesign Your Time

Through the Living 100 project, AARP seeks to spark a conversation. How can we challenge our own mindsets and attitudes about aging? What do longer lifespans mean for current and future generations? How can we address disparities in race, gender, income, education and geography that can be a matter of life and death? And most importantly, how do institutions and systems need to change so that we are not only living longer, but making the most of our extra time?

Join the Conversation

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1. Source: United States Census Bureau, 2010
2. Source: Human Mortality Database
3. Source: Wachter, Kenneth. University of California, Berkeley, 2006

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Living 100