Traditionally, old age marked the final stage in the human life cycle; you were old when you were approaching the end of your life. The problem with that old age definition is that no one knows for certain when they are going to die. And people are living much longer than they used to: When Social Security began in 1935, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 61 years. Today, it’s closer to 79.
Increased longevity is not just an American phenomenon. A 2017 study in The Lancet found that life expectancy was projected to grow in every one of 35 developed countries, albeit at different rates. The study concluded that by 2030, women in South Korea will likely have an average life expectancy of over 90 years. Researchers believe the gains are largely attributable to medical advances that allow people to extend their lives, as opposed to decreases in child mortality.
So, if the definition of “old age” depends on the average length of people’s lives, what age is considered “elderly?” When does middle age end and old age begin?
Stanford economics professor John Shoven looked at mortality rates for different age groups through time and suggested that “middle-aged” adults are those whose chances of dying within the next 12 months are one percent or less. That would mean that American men today would be considered middle-aged until they reach about age 60 (up from around age 44 in 1920) and women wouldn’t leave middle age until 65 (considerably later than age 48 like in 1920).
Similarly, Shoven suggested that an elderly definition could include adults whose chances of dying within the next year are four percent or more. So how old is “elderly?” Shoven’s theory would define elderly men as those over age 76 and elderly women as those over age 80.
How old is “old?” As you can see, there’s no simple answer to that question. However, there are a few commonly accepted ways to define old age:
- By chronology: You become old when a certain number of years have elapsed since your birth. However, the precise number can vary dramatically in different contexts. For instance: Medicare benefits begin at age 65, many senior discounts are aimed at those aged 55 or 60, and AARP starts accepting members at age 50.
- By social role: You become old when your children become adults, or you become a grandparent, or you retire from the paid workforce. In some rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where a formal retirement age is meaningless, you are considered to have reached old age when you must stop performing physically strenuous tasks and instead take on more of a managerial role in the household.
- By physical or health status: You become old when you get grey hair, develop wrinkles, or start experiencing physical frailty or mental decline. (Hence the oft-repeated phrase, “You’re only as old as you feel.”) A report in Geriatrics and Gerontology International found that many Japanese people believe that the term “elderly” should be reserved for those who are dependent on others for their daily functioning.
Not surprisingly, everyone has different ideas about what elderly age is or when old age begins. A survey by Pew Research Center found that Americans aged 18 to 29 believed that a person becomes old when they turn 60, whereas those over 65 said a person doesn’t get old until his or her 74th birthday. (Notably, the same survey found that only 35 percent of people over age 75 said they felt old.) And a survey by PayingTooMuch.com of adults over 40 found that most of them believed old age began at 80.