By international standards, those who grow old here enjoy a reasonably high standard of living, which is often reward enough in itself.


Even better is the fact Australians aged 65 and over also get to relish the fact they live in a country that has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
 
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a boy born between the years of 2018–2020 can expect to live to the age of 81.2 and a girl can be expected to live to the ripe age of 85.3.
 
That places Australia in the top six of all OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries.
 
Currently, there are twice as many women as men aged 85 and over, reflecting the fact females have a longer life expectancy.
 
But that’s not the only thing that should spur on those heading into their senior years.
 
As their age ticks over so too will their numbers, meaning there will be no shortage of new connections to be made.

The Breakdown

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) figures show that at 30 June 2020, approximately 4.2 million people (16 percent of Australia’s total population) were aged 65 and over, an increase from 1 million (8.3 percent of the total population) in 1970 and 2.1 million (12 percent) in 1995.


For those aged 85 and over, the proportion increased from 0.5 percent (63,200) in 1970, to 1.1 percent (190,400) in 1995.

As of 30 June 2020, there are 528,000 Australians aged 85 and over.

It is estimated this will increase to 1.8 million by 2050.
 
By 2066, it is projected that older people in Australia will make up between 21 percent and 23 per cent of the total population.

Population of Change 

But it’s not just in life expectancy and population growth where older Australians are proving they are a force to be reckoned with.
 
With time on their hands, an eagerness to connect with their communities, and a wise perspective, the rates of volunteering among the “baby boomer” generation is also continuing to rise compared to previous generations.
 
Figures from the Australian Human Rights Commission show that Australians aged over 65 years contribute almost $39 billion per year in unpaid caring and voluntary work.
In 2021 Volunteer Australia figures showed 656,000 Australians aged between 65 and 74 volunteer in some capacity each year, while 314,000 Australians aged 75 and over regularly offer up their time for voluntary roles.
All of which is just further evidence that the generosity and prowess of older Australians should never be underestimated.