Older Foreigners May Be a Quarter of U.S. Seniors in 50 Years

A U.S. Census Bureau report suggested the senior populace may triple over the next 50 years and comprise 23 percent of all seniors, according to Bloomberg . The bureau calculated that naturalized citizens, lawful residents, or migrants totaled 14 percent of the over-65 population in 2018. Close to 75 percent are naturalized and lived in the United States for more than 30 years, with Latin America their main point of origin. The over-65 demographic is forecast to increase to 22 million by 2060, bringing the total U.S. senior segment to 98.2 million. The Census report for 2012-2016 showed more Asian and Latin American immigrants than traditional European and African immigrants. Fewer than 50 percent of older foreign-born residents spoke English solely at home, with those from Latin America and Asia "most likely to speak English less than 'very well.'" The bureau noted the bulk of foreign-born seniors "from the rest of the world . . . were more likely to speak only English at home." Over half of older foreign residents were based in California, Florida, and New York, while seniors from outside the U.S. mainly lived in the west and south.