Society | The State of Ageing 2025

What does the chart show?

• People aged 65​ to ​74 remain the most likely of any age group to volunteer both formally and informally at least once a month (i.e. regularly). (​S​ee​ our​ technical report for data for younger age groups).
• Rates of regular formal volunteering are still lower than pre-pandemic levels, although the rate for the oldest age group (people aged 75 and over who were required to shield during the pandemic) has recovered slightly.  
  • Before the pandemic​,​ 23% of people aged 50 to 64 volunteered formally at least once a month. This has now fallen to 16%.  
  • Among people aged 65​ to ​74, the rate of regular formal volunteering fell from 31% pre-pandemic to 22% in 2020/21, and it has only recovered by one percentage point since then.  
  • Among people aged 75 and over, the recovery has been better but still only 21% of this age group volunteer formally at least once a month compared with 25% in 2019/20.
• In 2023/24, rates of regular informal volunteering were at their lowest for at least eight years. In contrast to formal volunteering, there was an initial spike in regular informal volunteering during the pandemic, except for people aged 75 and over​. However,​​ ​since then rates have continued to fall, for the population as a whole and for all age groups aged 50 and over. 

What does the chart show?

• Among White people aged 50 and over rates of formal volunteering (at least monthly) are higher in less deprived areas​​.​​ ​I​n the most deprived areas​,​ the percentage of people who formally volunteer (11%) is less than half that in the least deprived areas (24%).
• In contrast, for people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds​,​ there is little difference in formal volunteering rates by level of deprivation: 15% of people aged 50 ​​and​​ over living in the most deprived areas formally volunteer at least once a month ​​compared with​​ 18% of people in the least deprived areas.
• Informal volunteering rates (at least monthly) among White people do not show the same gradient by deprivation level that formal volunteering rates do: the informal volunteering rate increases from 23% for ​​people​​ in the most deprived areas to 27% to the midpoint of the deprivation scale, but then rates level off.
• For people from BAME backgrounds​,​ a higher percentage of people provide informal support (at least monthly) in deciles 3-4 (28%), than in the least deprived areas (23%).

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

We also know that:

• ​​​Volunteering rates (at least monthly) for all people aged 50 and over are 19% for formal volunteering and 26% for informal volunteering.
• There is considerable variation in the all-age volunteering rates of people from different BAME backgrounds. For example, within the Asian background category​,​ regular informal volunteering rates range from 18% for Chinese people to 31% for Bangladeshi people. This demonstrates the importance of sample sizes that allow intersectional analysis by specific ethnic groups. (See our ​​technical report for more details).
• Our analysis of the Community Life Survey 2023/24 (see our technical report for more details) also found that:
  • People aged 50 and over living in rural areas (24%) are more likely to volunteer formally at least once a month than people in urban areas (18%), but rates of informal volunteering are very similar (27% in rural vs 26% in urban)​.​  
  • Among people aged 50 and over, non-disabled people (21%) are more likely to volunteer formally at least monthly than Disabled people (17%). However, rates of informal volunteering are very similar (26% for non-disabled people vs 27% for Disabled people). 

What do the charts show?

• Although the most common reason for volunteering in both the most and least deprived areas is a desire to improve things or help people, other motivations vary according to where older volunteers live:
  • People aged 50 to 64 living in the most deprived areas are more likely than people in the least deprived areas to say they volunteer because the cause is important to them (36% vs 32%), because it’s part of their philosophy (27% vs 22%) or because it’s part of their religious belief (17% vs 9%).
  • People aged 50 to 64 living in the least deprived areas are more likely than those in the most deprived areas to say they volunteer because they have spare time (34% vs 27%), because it gives them a chance to use existing skills (24% vs 19%) and because the volunteering was connected with the needs of family or friends (21% vs 16%).
  • These differences in motivations by area are similar for people aged 65 and over, although in this age group, people in least deprived areas are also more likely than those in the most deprived areas to be motivated because they feel there is a need in their community (30% vs 23%).
  • People aged 65 and over are much more likely than those aged 50 to 64 to say they volunteered because they had spare time (51% vs 34% in the least deprived areas, and 40% vs 27% in the most deprived areas).  
• There are even larger differences between people in the least and most deprived areas in the reasons older people choose NOT to volunteer at least once a month:
  • Among people aged 50 to 64, those living in the least deprived areas are more likely than those in the most deprived areas to give work commitments (61% vs 49%) and having other things to do with their time (39% vs 25%) as reasons why they don’t volunteer regularly.
  • People living in the most deprived areas are more likely than those in the least deprived areas to say they have an illness or disability that prevents them from volunteering at least once a month – this is the case for both people aged 50 to 64 (24% vs 6%) and people aged 65 and over (34% vs 18%).
  • Surprisingly, given that older carers in more deprived areas are more likely to provide higher intensity care, it is older people in less deprived areas who are more likely to say they don’t volunteer at least once a month because they are caring for someone who is older or ill (16% vs 13% of 50-64 year olds and 9% vs 6% of people aged 65 and over). They are also more likely to say caring for children prevents them from volunteering regularly. 

We also know that:

• Our analysis of the Community Life Survey 2023/24 (see our technical report for more details) also found that:
  • Among ex-volunteers aged 50 and over, health problems or old age contributed to 29% of people in the most deprived areas stopping volunteering, compared with 17% of people in the least deprived areas.
  • Considering reasons for not volunteering, a quarter (25%) of people aged 65 and over say they’re not the right age to volunteer regularly, more than those citing health or disability (22%), and second only to having other things to do with their spare time (36%). This may indicate that​ ​ self-ageist attitudes are preventing some older people from volunteering. 

What does the chart show?

• In both 2023/24 and 2021/22, people aged 35​​ to ​​49 had the highest level of civic participation, activism or consultation (46% and 45%, respectively).
• In 2023/24, people aged 65​​ to ​​74 years had almost the same level of civic engagement as people aged 35​​ to ​​49, at 44%.
• Engagement declined between the two time points for younger age groups but increased for those aged 65 and over: the largest decline (five percentage points) was seen in the 16​​ to ​​24 year age group​,​ and the largest increase (three percentage points) in the 75 and over age group.
• See our technical report for definitions of civic participation and engagement. 

We also know that:

• Our analysis of the Community Life Survey 2023/24 (see our technical report for more details) also found that:
  • When asked what would make it easier for them to influence local decision​-​​making, the most common response for people aged 50 and over was them knowing what issues were being considered (45%).  
  • People aged 50 and over (37%) were more likely than people aged 16​ to ​29 (33%) to respond that giving their opinions online or by email would help. Those aged 50​ to ​64 were almost as likely as those aged 16​ to ​29 to say involvement in an online group would help (14% ​​compared with​​ 15%), although people aged 65 and over (11%) were less likely to want this option. People aged 30​ to ​49 were more likely than both older and younger people to respond positively to both these digital options.
• During the pandemic there was a dramatic rise in people aged 65 and over using the internet. Increased confidence in participating online may be one reason for the increase in civic engagement among older people, although many older people are still digitally excluded.
• Worryingly, market research conducted for our Age Without Limits campaign found that only a quarter (24%) of people aged 50 and over think that the voices of older people are sufficiently represented and heard regarding changes and developments where they live. (See our technical report for more details). 

What does the chart show?

• Unpaid carers aged 65 and over are more likely to receive no support from any source than carers aged 45 to 64. Men aged 65 and over are particularly likely to receive no support (71%).
• The most common source of support for carers aged 45 and over is other family members, which is more common for women than men in both the 45 to 64 and 65 and over age groups. This falls off as a source of support with age but particularly acutely for men: while 35% of 45 to 64 year old men cite other family members as a source of support, this is the case for just 18% of men aged 65 and over (the corresponding drop for women is from 38% to 25%).
• Between the ages of 45 and 64, the proportion of men and women receiving support from friends or neighbours is about the same (16% and 15%, respectively), but at age 65 and over, the proportion of men receiving support from this source is half that for women (5% vs 10%).
• Both men and women aged 65 and over are more likely than those aged 45 to 64 to receive support from professional health and social care services. However, women aged 65 and over (7%) are more than twice as likely than men of the same age (3%) to receive support from carers’ organisations and charities.
• Overall, this suggests that older men who provide unpaid care are less likely than older women to access non-statutory community support for caring roles, including from families, friends, neighbours and local organisations that support carers. 

We also know that:

• Despite receiving less support from others, men aged 65 and over are least likely to report that their caring responsibilities have an impact on their health. Indeed, it is carers in the 45 to 64 year old group who are most likely to report effects of caring on their health, particularly women (see our technical report for more details).  
• Conflicting demands on working-age women are likely to contribute to this. There are an estimated 1.4 million sandwich carers aged 16 to 64 in the UK who provide unpaid care for both adult relatives and dependent children. Six in ten sandwich carers are women, and half are aged 45 to 64. In addition to being more likely to have worse than average health, sandwich carers have lower than average incomes, with 40% living on a household income of £20,000 or less.
• People living in more deprived neighbourhoods are more likely to become carers at a younger age – and care for more hours per week – than people who live in less deprived neighbourhoods. People aged 50 to 70 in the most deprived neighbourhoods are at least twice as likely to provide 35 or more hours of unpaid care per week compared with those in the least deprived neighbourhoods.   

What does the chart show?

• Older people are more likely to have a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood than younger people – a difference that has been maintained over time. 
  While the proportion of younger people who feel a very or fairly strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood has increased in the last decade, it has remained relatively unchanged among people aged 50 and over.
• Early in the pandemic (between 2019/20 and 2020/21) there was an uptick in the proportion of people in every age group who felt a very or fairly strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood.
• This proportion dropped sharply between 2020/21 and 2021/22 and then continued to decline among people aged 25​ to ​64. This is likely to be linked to people returning to work and spending less time in their local neighbourhood.
• Among people aged 65 and over​,​ there has been a slight recovery in the proportion who feel they very or fairly strongly belong to their neighbourhood since the end of the pandemic, but levels are still lower than their peak in 2018/19. 

We also know that:

• A sense of belonging varies by place as well as age. Overall, two thirds (67%) of people aged 50 and over believe that they very or fairly strongly belong to their neighbourhood. This percentage increases as deprivation decreases: from 58% in the most deprived neighbourhoods, to 73% in the least deprived neighbourhoods. The more affluent the area, the stronger the sense of belonging among older people.
• People aged 50 and over are also more likely to feel they fairly or very strongly belong to their neighbourhood in rural areas (73%) than in urban areas (66%).
• In addition to place-based inequalities, people aged 50 and over who are disadvantaged by structural inequalities are less likely to feel that they belong to their immediate neighbourhood:
  • Older Disabled people (64%) are less likely than older non-disabled people (70%) to feel they belong.
  • Older LGB+ people (see note) (59%) are less likely than older heterosexual people (68%) to feel they belong.
  • Differences in likelihood of belonging between the broad ethnicity categories of older people from BAME backgrounds (65%) White people (68%) are small. However, this is likely to mask differences between specific ethnic groups within the broad BAME background category. This is evident from the all-age data in which feeling a sense of belonging ranges from 44% among people with a Chinese background to 71% among people with a Pakistani background, and compares ​with​ 63% of people with a White British background​.​  
• All data from Ageing Better analysis of the Community Life Survey 2023/24; see our technical report for more details.
• Note: LGB+ includes people who identify as ​​l​​esbian, ​g​ay, ​b​isexual or other sexual orientations other than heterosexual. 

What does the chart show?

• The proportion of people aged 50 and over who are satisfied with their local area as a place to live ​– ​and with the green and natural spaces in their local area​ –​ is strongly associated with level of area deprivation:  
  • Almost everyone (89%) in the least deprived areas are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, but in the most deprived areas, the proportion is less than two-thirds (62%).
  • Similarly, 88% of people in the least deprived areas are satisfied with the green and natural spaces in their local area, 23 percentage points more than in the most deprived areas (65%).

We also know that:

Our analysis of the Community Life Survey 2023/24 (see our technical report for more details) also found that:

• People aged 50 and over living in rural areas (88%) are more likely to feel satisfied with their local area as a place to live than their peers in urban areas (76%).
• As with inequalities in belonging, people who are disadvantaged by structural inequalities are less likely to feel satisfied with their local area as a place to live:
  • Disabled people aged 50 and over (74%) are less likely than non-disabled people in this age group (83%) to feel satisfied with their local area.
  • Similarly, 88% of people in the least deprived areas are satisfied with the green and natural spaces in their local area, 23 percentage points more than in the most deprived areas (65%).
  • Differences between the broad ethnicity categories of older people from BAME backgrounds (74%) and older White people (79%) are relatively small. However, this is likely to mask significant differences between specific ethnic groups within the broad BAME background category. This is evident from the all-age data, in which satisfaction with the local area ranges from 61% among people with a mixed White and Black Caribbean background to 77% among people with a Chinese background, ​​compared with​​ 75% of people with a White British background. (See our technical report for more details).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the proportion of people aged 50 and over living in rural communities (89%) who are satisfied with local green and natural spaces is higher than that in urban communities (78%), but there are other inequalities in satisfaction levels with these spaces among this age group too:

• Non-disabled people (84%) are more likely than Disabled people (76%) to be satisfied.  
• White people (81%) are more likely to be satisfied than people from BAME backgrounds (74%) – which may (at least in part) be because a higher percentage of older people from BAME backgrounds live in urban areas.

Market research conducted for our Age Without Limits campaign (see our technical report for more details) found that:

• Only half (49%) of people aged 50 and over feel positive about growing older where they live now, with a third (33%) feeling neutral​,​ and one in six (17%) feeling negative.
• Almost a quarter (23%) of people aged 50 and over feel less valued in their community as they age, and this is highest among people aged 50​ to ​64 (27%).

​​What does the chart show​?

• Believing your local area is safe and having access to green and natural spaces are the reasons most frequently cited by people aged 50 and over for being proud to live in their local area (72% and 67%, respectively).  
• In addition, almost half of people aged 50 and over cite a good range of shops and facilities and good transport links as reasons to be proud.  
• Safety and access to green and natural spaces remain the top reasons whether older people live in urban or rural areas, but people in rural areas are more likely than those in urban areas to cite these as a source of pride.  
• Conversely, people living in rural areas are much less likely than people living in urban areas to cite shops and facilities and good transport links as reasons to be proud.

We also know that:

• For people aged 50 and over living in the least deprived areas of England, feeling that the area is safe to live in is also their most frequently cited reason for pride in their local area (81%), followed closely by the availability of green and natural spaces (76%).
• In the most deprived areas, the most frequently cited reason for being proud of the local area is good transport links (52%), followed by safety (50%), and a good range of shops and facilities (50%).  
• However, two-thirds (68%) of older people living in the most deprived areas who don’t feel proud of their local area say that this is because it is run down, ​compared with​ just over a third (35%) in the least deprived areas.
• In rural areas, access to local amenities is often more limited than in urban areas. For example, local authorities with a higher percentage of people aged 65 and over​ (​which tend to be more rural areas)​​ have worse walking access to libraries. Indeed, of people aged 50 and over living in rural areas who are not proud to live in their local area, more than a third (36%) say that the lack of good transport is one reason for this. This is the case for just one in ten in t​​his age group in urban areas.  
• The two most popular reasons people aged 50 and over give for satisfaction with green and natural spaces is that they are within easy walking distance (89%), and good for mental health and wellbeing (66%).  
• Welcoming, safe places to exercise (whether indoors or outside) are vital in encouraging people to stay active as they age. However, Active Lives Survey 2023/24 data shows that people aged 55​​ to ​​74 living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (55%) are less likely to agree that the places and environments where they exercise are welcoming than those living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (73%). They are also less likely to agree that the public places where they would like to exercise feel safe (63% of 55​​ to ​​74 year olds in the most deprived neighbourhoods ​​compared with​​ 79% in the least deprived neighbourhoods).  
• Market research conducted for our Age Without Limits campaign found that only around a third (35%) of people aged 50 and over think there are enough activities and groups in their area to allow them to feel connected to their local community, with another third (36%) disagreeing​,​ and the remainder (29%) being unsure. This suggests that a lack of accessible information is an issue as well as a lack of provision.

See our technical report for more details on all the above points. 

What does the chart show?

• Among people aged 50 and over, a lower proportion of men than women definitely agree that they have someone there for them.
  • For both men and women, the proportion who say that they definitely have someone there for them increases with age​,​ though men start from a lower base (63% of 50-64 year old men compared with 74% of women in this age group). The increase with age for men is then twice as large as for women (a 14 vs seven percentage point difference between the 50​​ to ​​64 and 75 and over age groups, respectively). However, the proportion of the oldest men who say that they definitely have someone there for them is still lower than for the oldest women.​ 
• Gender intersects with other characteristics that confer advantage or disadvantage, resulting in further inequalities, for example:
  • Only 62% of men aged 50 and over living in the most deprived areas definitely have someone there for them ​​compared with​​ 72% of men in the least deprived areas (a ten percentage point gap): the gap for women is seven percentage points (73% vs 80%)​.​
  • Older men from BAME backgrounds (58%) are much less likely than White men (69%) to say that they have someone there for them (an 11 percentage point gap)​​. However,​​​ ​the gap between women from BAME backgrounds and White women is even wider (15 percentage points), highlighting the intersectionality of gender and race​ inequality​.
  • Older Disabled men (62%) and women (71%) are both ten percentage points less likely than their non-disabled peers to say they definitely have someone there for them.  
  • Gay and bisexual men (55%) are much less likely than heterosexual men (69%​)​​ -​​ ​​ ​to say they definitely have someone there for them. There is also a gap between lesbian and bisexual women and heterosexual women but it is smaller (68% vs 77%). 

We also know that:

• Though the proportion of men who definitely agree that they have someone there for them increases with age after the age of 50, the pattern is different at younger ages. In fact, it drops from two-thirds (66%) of 16 to 29 year olds to 62% at ages 30 to 49 and doesn’t increase again until age 65. Thus, it is between the ages of 30 and 64 when men are most likely to be without someone to support them. In contrast, the proportion of women with someone there for them increases with age across the life course. Men are clearly at greater risk than women of social isolation so the trend towards greater numbers of older men living alone raises the prospect of even greater numbers of older men who have no one there for them in the future.  
• This highlights the need for initiatives such as the International Day of Older People, which in 2025 in the UK celebrated the power of social connections. The day recognised the value of everyday interactions in local communities in building belonging and maintaining wellbeing as people age. 

What does the chart show?

• The decade from 2010 to 2019 saw a reduction in real-terms expenditure (i.e. adjusted for inflation) for many community services funded by local authorities. While real-terms spending on some services has increased since 2021, annual expenditure is still well below the level it was before the start of austerity measures in 2010.
• Funding for both open spaces and community development had recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2023/24. However, funding for other services (including culture and heritage, libraries and public toilets) had declined or not fully recovered:  
  • In 2023/24, spending on public toilets was half that in 2010/11. This is despite concerns that a lack of public toilets prevents up to one in five older people from leaving their house – meaning toilet availability is an important access issue.  
• Spending on community development and library services are also around half what they were in 2010/11 (with 48% and 46% reductions, respectively).  
• Expenditure on Community centres and public halls is the only area that received substantially more funds in 2023/24 than in 2019/20, with funding returning to the level seen ten years previously.  

We also know that:

• In 2024/2025, councils’ overall core funding (i.e. that from central government) was predicted to be 9% lower in real-terms and 18% lower in real-terms per person than in 2010/11.
• This reduction was set to be larger for councils in more deprived areas compared with less deprived areas (26% vs 11%). This is because the funding increases seen since 2019/20 have only partially offset the overall cuts seen in the 2010s, which were deepest in poorer areas.
• Since the pandemic, during which overall funding from central government was temporarily increased, local authorities have been experiencing a triple burden of lower real-terms core funding; cost increases that are higher than general inflation; and increased demand for services (including for social care, homelessness services and school transport) – resulting in increasing gaps between costs and available funding.  
• Local authorities therefore continue to be forced to redirect funding towards statutory services, particularly social care. Across local authorities in 2025/26 there is an estimated shortfall in social care funding of more than £1 billion simply to maintain the existing level of service. Growing social care funding deficits result not only in fewer people receiving the care they need, but also in cuts to other services, and a corresponding reduction in residents’ satisfaction with local authority services overall.    
• Reduced spending on preventive services – including for example on community groups – supporting physical activity or aids and adaptations in homes, is particularly concerning as these not only improve people’s lives, but they potentially save £3 for every pound spent.

What does the chart show?

• Being patronised is the most common experience of ageism, with nearly a third (31%) of people having experienced it since turning 50. It is significantly more commonly experienced by women (36%) than by men (24%), as are some other types of interpersonal ageism such as being ignored (27% of women compared with 17% of men) or dismissed by people (18% women compared with 12% of men).
• People aged 50 and over also experience institutional ageism, including missing out on opportunities at work (17%) and discrimination in diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional (20%). Women are significantly more likely than men to report poor treatment by a healthcare professional (23% vs 16%).
• Almost one in five (19%) people say they have stopped themselves from taking part in an activity since turning 50 because they think it might not be appropriate for their age, an example of self-directed ageism.  

We also know that:

• Our research has found that 45% of people aged 50 and over can recall having been spoken to or treated negatively because of their age, an example of interpersonal ageism. (See our technical report for more details).
• We also found that:
  • The most common consequence of interpersonal ageism is not taking part in a social activity (reported by 34% of people aged 50 and over who had experienced interpersonal ageism), followed by no longer thinking positively about the future (27%), not taking part in discussions (25%), avoiding or limiting physical activity (24%), and not asking for help or support (24%).
  • The most common consequence of self-directed ageism is also not taking part in a social activity (reported by 34% of people aged 50 and over who had experienced any type of ageism), followed by avoiding or limiting physical activity (31%), not going to certain places (24%) and not seeking help for a health complaint (24%). (See our technical report for more details).
• These consequences affect people’s health and wellbeing and also limit people’s engagement with their local community as they age. However, although we all age, ageism is not inevitable and needs to be challenged.  
• The media perpetuates ageist attitudes. The media’s representation of older people is overwhelmingly negative and highly reliant on stereotypes. Articles frequently pit older people against younger generations and use dehumanising and divisive terms.  
• Our Age Without Limits campaign aims to equip people of all ages to change negative attitudes towards ageing and older people.  

What does the chart show?

• The proportion of people aged 55 to 64 who don’t use the internet at home fell by four percentage points (from 12% to 8%) between 2022 and 2023 but then rose by one percentage point to 9% in 2024 due to an increase in people who have access to the internet but do not use it.
• The proportion of people aged 65 and over who don’t use the internet at home fell by two percentage points (from 31% to 29%) between 2022 and 2023. Although the proportion of people in this age group who don’t have access to the internet at home fell by six percentage points (from 25% to 19%), the proportion who do have access to the internet at home but don’t use it increased by four percentage points (from 6% to 10%).  
• Between 2023 and 2024, the proportion of people aged 65 and over who don’t use the internet at home also fell by two percentage points (from 29% to 27%). In contrast to the previous year, in this period the percentage of people who had no access to the internet increased by two percentage points. However, the proportion who do have access to the internet at home but don’t use it decreased to the 2022 percentage (6%). This means that, in the UK, 3.5 million people aged 65 and over don’t use the internet at home (see our technical report for details).
• These figures suggest that it is not just internet access that is limiting this age group’s use of the internet, but also factors such as digital skills and literacy, or not having suitable devices.  

See our technical report about corrections to this chart.

We also know that:

• More than half (53%) of people aged 75 and over in the UK now have the Foundation Level skills needed to use the internet successfully, up from just 35% in 2022. But this means that there are 3 million people in this age group without these skills. (See our technical report for more details).
• Despite increased internet use and skills among older people, there are signs that age will continue to be a factor in digital exclusion. Although 56% of people of all ages in England say they will be able to adapt to new technology when they are ‘old’, this percentage is lower (46%) among people aged over 50. And among people aged over 50 there are gaps by financial status and educational attainment: among people living comfortably, 58% said they will be able to adapt to new technology compared with only 34% of people who are finding it difficult to get by financially. The proportion is 53% for those with a degree compared with 32% for those with no qualifications. (See our technical report for more details).
• To stay digitally included as they age, people need opportunities and support to maintain and develop their skills. Two in five people (43%) aged 70-79 in the UK think they need to develop their digital skills, with a preference for learning from family members.
• Almost half (49%) of people who are offline in the UK have difficulty engaging with organisations, with a third (33%) of people having difficulty dealing with local council and government services.