Impact of Aging

In 2050, the world will look very different. The population is aging at an unprecedented rate: today, 40 million Americans are over age 65. In 2050, nearly 90 million will be.

Growing old in 2050 will not look like it does today.

The demographic transition will change the design of goods and services, the delivery and use of public resources, the characteristics of our workforce, and the very structure of communities.

It’s rare to encounter a transition of this magnitude and know it is coming, and even rarer to have a transition we can embrace for its opportunities. Yet, with few exceptions, businesses, policymakers, and nonprofits are unprepared. These opportunities and challenges are not limited to any one sector and can’t be addressed by any one entity alone.

The demographic transition will require product, service, and policy innovation on a scale we haven’t seen before. We can’t hope to meet this challenge without engaging people of all ages and taking into account the context in which we age – the complex interplay of formal and informal caregivers, support organizations, social networks, and infrastructure in our communities.

The Institute for the Ages brings together the people and resources that can envision, plan for, and create a future we can look forward to—an enduring catalyst that keeps us on the leading edge, facilitating the development of tangible solutions for this generation and the next.