Americans Over 65 to Outnumber Those Under 18 by Year 2035

The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts that Americans over 65 years old will soon outnumber those younger than 18 for the first time in U.S. history, reports KVAL . "By 2035, there will be 78 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7 million under the age of 18," says the Bureau's Jonathan Vespa. One in five Americans will be of retirement age by 2030, with the Census predicting that "The population is expected to grow at a slower pace, age considerably and become more racially and ethnically diverse. Net international migration is projected to overtake natural increase in 2030 as the primary driver of population growth in the United States." Vespa anticipates that by 2030 the nation will add approximately 1.1 million people via net international migration, but only about 1 million people by natural increase. "Between 2020 and 2050, the number of deaths is projected to rise substantially as the population ages and a significant share of the population, the baby boomers, age into older adulthood," the Census says. "As a result, the population will naturally grow very slowly, leaving net international migration to overtake natural increase as the leading cause of population growth, even as projected levels of migration remain relatively constant." The old-age dependency ratio is projected to rise as well to slightly more than three-and-a-half working-age adults for every retirement-age person by 2030, before declining to just under two-and-a-half working-age adults for every retirement-age person by 2060.