Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options
CDC Home

Older Persons' Health

(Data are for the U.S.)

 

Population

  • Number of residents age 65 and over: 39.6 million (2009)

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 1 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

 

Life expectancy

  • Men at 65 years: 17.6 years
  • Women at 65 years: 20.3 years

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2009, table 7 [PDF - 2.1 MB]

 

Health status

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over in fair or poor health: 24.4% (2010)

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 56 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who need help with personal care from other persons: 7.3%

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 12.2

 

Health risk factors

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 7.9%

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 8.3

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who are obese (2005-2008)
    • Men age 65-74: 41.5%
    • Men age 75 and over: 26.6%
    • Women age 65-74: 40.3%
    • Women age 75 and over: 28.7%

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 74 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with diabetes (physician-diagnosed and undiagnosed): 25.7% (2003-2006)

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 50 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with hypertension (2007-2010)
    • Men age 65-74 years: 64.1%
    • Men age 75 and over: 71.7%
    • Women age 65-74: 69.3%
    • Women age 75 and over: 81.3%

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 70 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

 

Health care utilization

Ambulatory care

  • Number of ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments) by persons age 65 and over: 289.7 million

Source: Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2007: table 1 [PDF - 797 KB]

Hospital inpatient care

  • Number of discharges from nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 13.9 million

Source: National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2009 table, Number and rate of hospital discharges [PDF - 146 KB]

  • Average length of stay in nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 5.7 days

Source: National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2009 table, Average length of stay and days of care - Number and rate of discharges by sex and age [PDF - 38 KB]

Nursing home care

  • Number of nursing home residents age 65 and over: 1.3 million
  • Nursing home residents per 10,000 persons age 65 and over:  363

Source: The National Nursing Home Survey: 2004 Overview, table 5 [PDF - 2.7 MB]

Home health care

  • Current patients age 65 and over: 1.0 million (2007)

Source: Home Health Care and Discharged Hospice Care Patients: United States, 2000 and 2007, table 1 [PDF - 430 KB].

Hospice care

  • Hospice care discharges age 65 and over: 868,100 (2007)

Source: Home Health Care and Discharged Hospice Care Patients: United States, 2000 and 2007, table 5 [PDF - 430 KB]

Dental care

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with a dental visit in the past year: 57.7% (2010)

Source: Health, United States, 2011, table 98 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

Preventive care

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who ever had a pneumococcal vaccination: 62.3%
  • Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who had an influenza vaccination in the past 12 months: 67.0%

Source: Early Release of Selected Estimates based on data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey, table 4.1b, data table for figure 5.1

  • Percent of noninstitutionalized women age 65 and over who had a mammogram in the past 2 years: 64.4% (2010)

Source:  Health, United States, 2011, table 90 [PDF - 9.8 MB]

 

Mortality

  • Number of deaths of persons age 65 and over: 1,761,937
  • Deaths per 100,000 population:
    • 65-74: 1,928.8
    • 75-84: 4,774.4
    • 85 and over: 13,021.2

Source:  Deaths: Final Data for 2009, tables 10, 11 [PDF - 2.1 MB]

  • Leading causes of death of persons age 65 and over:
    • Heart disease
    • Cancer
    • Chronic lower respiratory disease

Source: Deaths: Leading Causes for 2008, table 1 [PDF - 2.8 MB]

 

More data

 

 

 
Contact Us:
  • National Center for Health Statistics
    3311 Toledo Rd
    Hyattsville, MD 20782
  • 1 (800) 232-4636
  • cdcinfo@cdc.gov
USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web PortalDepartment of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
A-Z Index
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. #