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Aging Trends

Back to Which Future: The U.S. Aging Crisis Revisited

Research Report

December 2002


In 2001, AARP released a report entitled Global Aging: Achieving Its Potential which argued that the increase in life expectancy over the past century represents a remarkable success story. Although an aging world poses real challenges to income security, health, and long-term care programs, the report argued that the challenges are manageable if institutions and individuals act in a timely fashion to deal with them. The report suggested a number of strategies to help governments, employers, and individuals adjust to an aging world.

This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Sophie M. Korczyk builds on that analysis. Reviewing new and emerging research that bears on the likely dimensions and consequences of population aging, the report focuses on research dealing with demographic, health, and economic issues surrounding population aging.

The analysis concentrates primarily on research dealing with the United States, but it also touches on other countries relevant to what America is experiencing now or is likely to experience in the future. It concludes with a discussion of implications for the way both individuals and policymakers think about retirement planning for an aging population.

For further information, please, contact John Turner of the Public Policy Institute at 202/434-3881 or the Public Policy Institute at ppi@aarp.org. (40 pages)

Pub ID: 2002-18