The statistic above provides information about the average retirement age in the United States from 1900 to 2012. Most of the people were about 76 years old when they ended work in 1900, while the generation in 2010 was aged 64. Additional information on the retirement age in the United States Societal changes, technological advancements and domestic social welfare pension policies have all contributed to a general lowering of the average retirement age. Although the average retirement age has remained relatively steady between ** and ** for decades, age demographic disparities are set to threaten the continence of this trend. The retirement age is similarly low in other developed countries subject to the same trend. The average retirement age of workers in the United States and the effect it has on the wider economy and society has become an important focus. In recent years many countries, including the United States, have acknowledged the issue of aging populations and the potential strain this may put on the economy. The danger lies in rising pension payments and gaps in the labor force upon the looming retirement of the so-called baby boom generation born following the Second World War. While there is a commonly accepted consensus that the government should play at least a role in the provision of financial means to retirees, policy action in regard to this growing problem has been minimal. Such an approach will do little to minimize the existing fears held by retirees over payment of basic needs and medical expenses. Perhaps as a response to these concerns, many current workers in the United States expect to continue working in a full or part time capacity upon reaching the retirement age.

This data collection describes the social conditions of the older population of the United States at the turn of the century. Detailed information, extracted from the 1900 United States Census manuscript schedules, is provided on household composition and family structure for each sampled older person. Ecological characteristics of the county of residence, e.g., the percentage of the county's population that is foreign born, are provided for most sampled older persons. In addition, occupational and ethnic characteristics of family heads appearing on the same sampled census page as the older person (on census pages grouped by street location) are reported.

In 2023, the median age of the population of the United States was 39.2 years. While this may seem quite young, the median age in 1960 was even younger, at 29.5 years. The aging population in the United States means that society is going to have to find a way to adapt to the larger numbers of older people. Everything from Social Security to employment to the age of retirement will have to change if the population is expected to age more while having fewer children. The world is getting older It’s not only the United States that is facing this particular demographic dilemma. In 1950, the global median age was 23.6 years. This number is projected to increase to 41.9 years by the year 2100. This means that not only the U.S., but the rest of the world will also have to find ways to adapt to the aging population.

The statistic above represents the labor force participation rate of people aged 55 and older in the United States from 1900 to 2014. The labor force participation rate fell from ** percent in 1900 to ** percent in 2014.