Our Ageing Population | The State of Ageing 2025

What do the charts show? 

• There are currently almost 22 million people aged 50 and over in England. This represents 38% of the population. 
• Nearly 11 million people – almost one in five (19%) – are aged 65 and over, more than 5 million (9%) are aged 75 and over, and more than 1.4 million (3%) are aged 85 and over.  
• But the age profile varies across the country: 
  • The South East is home to the highest number of people aged 50 and over (3.7 million) of whom 1.9 million are aged 65 and over – also higher than any other region. 
  • London ranks third in terms of the number of people aged 50 and over (2.6 million) and sixth in terms of the number of people aged 65 and over (1.1 million). But its large population overall means that it has the lowest percentage of people aged 50 to 64 (17%), and of people aged 65 and over (12%). In fact, its percentage of people aged 65 and over is the lowest by some margin – the region with the next lowest percentage is the North West at 19%. 
  • Conversely, the South West ranks third in terms of the number of people aged 65 and over (1.3 million) but the region is home to the highest percentage of people aged 50 and over (43%) and 65 and over (23%) because of its relatively small population overall. 

We also know that: 

• Both the number and proportion of older people in England has increased in recent history. The number of people aged 50 and over increased by 7 million (a 47% rise) between 1981 and 2021, and the percentage increased by six percentage points from 32% to 38%. 
• Over the same period, the number of people aged 65 and over increased by 3.5 million (a 52% rise) and the number of people aged 85 and over increased by 0.9 million – a huge rise of 186%. 
• London is a special region because all of its local authorities are classified as urban, unlike other regions with major cities where there is a mix of urban and rural areas. The population structure of London reflects the effects of inward internal and international migration of younger people to the city for work, and outward migration of families and older people.  

What do the charts show? 

• The median age in England in 2023 was 40.4, a slight decrease from 40.5 in 2022, but an increase of 0.7 years from 39.7 in 2013. 
• North Norfolk had the highest median age in both 2013 and 2023 (52.1 and 55.6 respectively). 
• Manchester had the lowest median age of 30.5 in 2023, slightly down from 30.6 in 2013. 
• The ten local authorities with the lowest median ages in 2023 include six London boroughs and four cities with large student populations (Manchester, Nottingham, Cambridge and Oxford). 
• The Derbyshire Dales saw the largest increase in median age of 4.6 years (from 48.4 to 53).
• In fact, there is evidence that the places with the highest median age have also experienced the fastest growth in median age between 2013 and 2023, which means that the gap in median age between the oldest and youngest places is increasing. The seven local authorities that saw the largest increase in median age between 2013 and 2023 were already in the top 20 for median age in 2013 (see our technical report for more details). Many of these places are in rural and coastal areas.

We also know that:

• The median age map largely reflects the geographic pattern for the proportion of people aged 65 and over in the Census 2021 data, with North Norfolk home to the highest proportion of people aged 65 and over and Tower Hamlets home to the lowest proportion. 
• There can be considerable variation within local authorities, which is seen in the youngest cities that have large student populations. In Manchester the percentage of people aged 50 and over varies between 7% and 33% in different wards compared with a national average of 38% (see our technical report for more details). 
• People move to urban and coastal areas as they age, sometimes as a lifestyle choice but also out of necessity. Older people who rent are moving out of cities (especially London where the number of renters is falling) to coastal areas in order to find affordable rented housing.

What do the charts show?

• Over the next 40 years the population of England is projected to increase overall and in every age group above 35. The fastest increase will be among older age groups, especially from the age of 65.
  • The number of people aged 19 and under is projected to decrease by 7% while the number of people aged 20 to 34 will remain fairly static.  
  • The rate of population growth is projected to increase with age, with a 12% increase (1.4 million) in people aged 35 to 49 and a 21% increase (2.3 million) in people aged 50 to 64. 
  • The number of people aged 65 to 79 is projected to increase by 17% by 2045 and by 41% by 2065 – a total increase of 3.3 million people, from 8.1 million in 2025 to 11.2 million in 2065. 
  • The largest increases are anticipated for people aged 80 and over, with the number rising by 64% by 2045 and more than doubling (107%) by 2065. This represents an increase of 3.2 million people, from 3.1 million in 2025 to 6.3 million in 2065. 
• The overall effect of greater population growth in older age groups is that the age profile of the country will change, with an anticipated 46% of the population aged 50 and over in 2065 (an eight percentage point increase from 38% in 2025) and 26% aged 65 and over (a seven percentage point increase from 19%). 
   

We also know that:

• The number of people aged 65 and over is set to continue to grow at the fastest rate in coastal and rural areas over the next 20 years. 
• The pattern of population change seen in local authorities since 2013 is predicted to stay the same – the oldest places will age at the fastest rate. Places that already had a greater proportion of people aged 65 and over in 2023 are predicted to see the largest increases in this age group between 2023 and 2043. The Isle of Wight is set to have the highest percentage increase, and five other local authorities in the top 20 for the proportion of people aged 65 and over in 2023 are also in the top 20 for the projected increase in this proportion by 2043 (see our technical report for more details). 
• London bucks the slower ageing trend of other major cities – it is ageing faster due to a combination of a lower birth rate and changes in international migration patterns. 
• Changes in life expectancy, fertility and migration could all influence the projected population size and age structure. This ONS tool models the effects of changes in these factors on the UK population.

What do the charts show? 

• Across all local authorities in England, the median percentage of people aged 50 and over who are from BAME backgrounds is 3.8%, and the equivalent percentage for people aged 65 and over is 2.3%. 
• Two in three people (66%) aged 50 and over living in Newham are from BAME backgrounds – the highest percentage for any local authority in England, followed by Brent (65%) and Harrow (57%). The only local authorities outside London in the top 20 for this measure are Slough (51%) in eighth place and Leicester (50%) in ninth place. 
• The same three local authorities are home to the highest percentage of people aged 65 and over from BAME backgrounds: Brent (61%), Newham (61%) and Harrow (51%). Again, the only local authorities outside London in the top 20 for this measure are Slough (45%) in sixth place and Leicester (44%) in eighth place. 
• Other large urban areas across the country, such as Luton (South East), Birmingham (West Midlands) and Manchester (North West), are also home to much larger than average communities of older people from BAME backgrounds. 
• The proportion of people aged 50 to 64 from BAME backgrounds is higher than that of people aged 65 and over in every local authority in the country. This means that the number of people aged 65 and over from BAME backgrounds will increase everywhere over the next few years. As a result, the need for inclusive services and adequate housing for all older people is set to increase nationwide. 
• The increases in both the number and proportion of people aged 65 and over from BAME backgrounds are projected to be highest in urban areas, based on the difference in these measures between people aged 50 to 64 and those aged 65 and over. The largest difference is in Barking and Dagenham where 46% of people aged 50 to 64 are from BAME backgrounds compared with 23% of people aged 65 and over.

We also know that: 

• Within the broad BAME category, older people from Bangladeshi and Pakistani backgrounds face the greatest health and financial inequalities. Figures for these ethnic groups are combined in the second map to show where the greatest inequalities based on ethnicity may exist. 
• Tower Hamlets has by far the highest percentage (29%) of people aged 50 and over from these backgrounds due to its large Bangladeshi community. Newham is second in this list (17%) but six of the top ten local authorities are outside London: Slough, Luton, Bradford, Birmingham, Pendle and Manchester. Birmingham and Bradford and are home to the largest numbers of people aged 50 and over from Pakistani backgrounds. 
• These urban areas will need to pay particular attention to the risk of growing health and financial inequalities as the proportion of their populations from Bangladeshi and Pakistani backgrounds age. 
• Older people from minority ethnic backgrounds face specific barriers to moving in later life, including affordability (due to a higher incidence of poverty and lower home ownership in many BAME communities) and concerns about maintaining cultural connections, which may not be possible outside urban areas.

See our technical report for details of our use of ethnicity categories and terms. 

What do the charts show?

• Brighton and Hove is home to the largest number of people aged 55 and over who identify as being lesbian, gay or bisexual, or having another minority sexual orientation (LGB+), followed by some London boroughs, cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, and the coastal towns of Bournemouth and Blackpool. A few large rural areas with a high number of older residents overall are also in the top 20 for the number of older LGB+ residents. 
• Many places with higher numbers of older LGB+ residents also have a high proportion of LGB+ people among their older population. However, the top 20 places in terms of the proportion of LGB+ people aged 55 and over includes more local authorities on the south coast and some smaller cities but no inland rural areas. 
• One in five (20%) older LGB+ people live in London, even though it is a young region home to only 12% of people aged 55 and over in England (see our technical report for more details).

Please note that data on sexual orientation and gender identity was collected in the Census for the first time in 2021, but it is not possible to combine these two characteristics to produce data for the LGBT+ community as a whole (see our technical report for more details).

We also know that:

• The 2021 Census data on sexual orientation revealed that there are more than four times as many LGB+ people aged 45 to 64 (294,000) as those aged 65 and over (65,000). So, as these people age over the next two decades, diversity in sexual orientation among people aged 65 and over is set to increase, with this increase set to continue as 430,000 LGB+ people aged 25 to 34 grow older (see our technical report for more details). 
• A disproportionately high number of older LGB+ people live in London, Manchester and Brighton, which are among the least affordable places to privately rent in England, and national rates of private renting are higher among older LGB+ people compared with their heterosexual peers. 
• However, LGBT+ people may choose to move to one of these cities and remain there as they age because the cities meet their need to be part of an LGBT+ community, and because they are viewed as more tolerant places to live, even though London in particular has its own challenges in terms of the cost of living. 
• Older LGBT+ people are also at greater risk of isolation. They are more likely to live alone and be estranged from families of origin, and less likely to have children. Living in a community where there are fewer LGBT+ people may compound this.

What does the chart show? 

• Across England, 21% of people aged 50 to 64 and 33% of people aged 65 and over are disabled*. 
• There is a clear association between the income deprivation rate for the places where people live (the proportion of the local population that is ‘income deprived’) and the likelihood of them being disabled, with a higher likelihood of disability among people aged 50 to 64 and those aged 65 and over living in poorer local authority areas (see our technical report for more details). 
• The highest disability rate for people aged 50 to 64 is in Blackpool, which has an income deprivation rate of 25%. One in three (32%) people aged 50 to 64 living in Blackpool are disabled. 
• People aged 50 to 64 living in Blackpool are almost three times as likely to be disabled as people living in Elmbridge in Surrey, which has the lowest disability rate and an income deprivation rate of 6%. In Elmbridge one in eight (12%) people aged 50 to 64 are disabled (a 20 percentage point difference compared with Blackpool). 
• Disability rates are higher for people aged 65 and over than for those aged 50 to 64 in all areas. However, the percentage point difference between places with the highest and lowest rates of disability for people aged 65 and over– 18 percentage points between Knowsley (46%) and Hart (28%) – is similar to that between the places with highest and lowest rates for people aged 50 to 64 (see above).

*Measured as having a physical or mental health condition lasting, or expected to last, 12 months or more, which reduces someone’s ability to carry out day-to-day activities. 

We also know that: 

• The local authority data reflects national Census 2021 neighbourhood data, which shows that more people in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England (measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation) were disabled at younger ages compared to those in the least deprived areas. In the most deprived 10% of areas, more than one in five (22%) of people aged 40 to 44 were disabled. In the least deprived 10% of areas, it was not until age 70 to 74 years where the disability rate reached this level – a 30 year difference. 
• Being disabled does not necessarily equate to being in poor health, but health and disability are closely related with many long-term health conditions resulting in disability. The higher levels of disability in poorer areas and neighbourhoods is likely to be linked to place-based determinants of health, such as housing quality, access to good jobs, and the quality of outdoor spaces. 
• Disabled people are more likely to be living in poverty and will therefore have less choice about where they live as they age. 
• Sickness/disability is the main reason why people on low incomes leave paid work before state pension age, which in turn can lead to greater risk of poverty. 
• The oldest part of the population – people aged 80 and over – is growing at the fastest rate, and the prevalence of disability increases with age. Therefore, the number and proportion of people of state pension age who are disabled is expected to increase in the future. 
• The Census question about disability changed between 2011 and 2021, which may account for fewer older people reporting disability in the 2021 Census than previously.

What does the chart show? 

• Across England, 16% of people aged 50 to 64 are unpaid carers, with 9% providing 19 or fewer hours of care per week, 3% providing 20 to 49 hours, and 4% providing 50 or more hours. 
• Regional variance suggests that the need to provide intermediate and high levels of care (20 or more hours per week) may be driven by levels of poor health and disability in an area. In contrast, the need for low-intensity care (under 20 hours per week) appears to be driven by the size of older population.
  • The North East region, which we know has both the highest level of material deprivation (across all ages) and the highest rates of poor health, has the highest overall percentage (17%) of people aged 50 to 64 who provide unpaid care and also the highest percentage of people in this age group providing both 20 to 49 hours and 50 or more hours of care per week. This means that almost half (49%) of carers aged 50 to 64 in the North East provide 20 or more hours of care per week compared with 43% nationally.  
  • The South West is home to the highest percentage (9.6%) of people aged 50 to 64 who are carers providing fewer than 20 hours of care per week. This region has the highest percentage of people aged 65 and over – the age group most likely to need care. 
  • London has the lowest percentage of people aged 50 to 64 who provide any care, largely due to the low percentage (7%) who provide low-intensity care. This region has by far the lowest percentage of older people aged 65 and over. The percentages of people aged 50 to 64 in London providing intermediate and high levels of care is much the same as in other regions of England.  

We also know that: 

• Among people aged 50 and over, 2.8 million are unpaid carers, with 50 to 59 being the peak age for caring (when almost 20% of women are unpaid carers).
• Older people who already face disadvantage because of disability are more likely to be carers. And older women from minority ethnic communities that have the poorest health and highest levels of disability are particularly likely to provide high levels of unpaid care (more than 50 hours per week). 
• While the chart shows the differences between regions, there are greater differences at more local levels. For example, comparing Census data for local authorities, Mansfield has the highest percentage (20%) of carers among people aged 50 to 64, compared with only 11% in Kensington and Chelsea. The gap between the highest and lowest percentages in local authorities is nine percentage points, compared with a gap of four percentage points between the highest and lowest regional averages. At a local ward level within Mansfield, 26% of residents aged 50 to 64 in Hornby are carers (the highest of any ward in England) compared with only 13% of residents in Portland – a 13 percentage point gap even within this one local authority. 
• Caring has an impact on both health (with carers in poorer health) and on income because caring affects someone’s ability to work. So, in itself, a higher provision of unpaid care in an area is likely to contribute to poorer population health and higher levels of poverty. 
• Women born in the mid-1960s baby boom, who are now aged around 60, are twice as likely not to have had children as women born in the post-World War II baby boom, who are now in their mid-70s. This increasing trend of the number of people ageing without children has implications for the future provision of informal care by family members.

What do the charts show? 

• More older women than older men live alone. In fact, among people aged 75 and over, more than twice as many women (1.7 million) as men (0.8 million) were living alone in 2023. 
• The gender gap is currently smaller for people aged 65 to 74 (1 million women compared with 0.7 million men) but among those aged 45 to 64, the pattern is reversed with more men than women living alone (1.3 million men compared with 1.1 million women). 
• In the 20 years from 2003 to 2023, the number of women aged 45 and over who were living alone increased by 14%, from 3.4 million to 3.8 million. The largest increase (16%) was among women aged 65 to 74. 
• Over the same period, the number of men aged 45 and over who were living alone increased by 58%, from 1.8 million to 2.9 million. The largest increase (76%) was among men aged 65 to 74. This means the gap between the number of older women and the number of older men living alone is narrowing.

We also know that: 

• The increase in the number of people living alone can be partly explained by the growth of the older population and also by the increase (more than 1 million between 2011 and 2021) in the number of people aged 50 and over who have never been married or in a civil partnership, which includes a greater proportion of men than women.  
• LGB+ men and women aged 50 to 64 are more likely to live alone than their heterosexual peers and (unlike the population-wide pattern) both bisexual and gay men aged 65 and over are more likely than bisexual women and lesbians aged 65 and over to live alone. 
• It is anticipated that the rise in the number of people living alone will continue, especially among those aged 75 and over.  
• Living alone can increase someone’s risk of social isolation and loneliness. Older men are at particular risk of social isolation, so the rapid rise in numbers of older men needs to be taken into consideration in policies to reduce isolation, including in Age-friendly Communities. 
• Living alone can also make it more difficult to access timely medical treatment. Older people who live alone may be less likely to access elective treatment but more likely to use emergency department and GP services. 
• As the number of people living alone increases, there will be more households, so understanding this trend is important in planning the building of new homes.