“65 is the new 54” – Are you a Downager?

A demographic revolution is underway all over the world. Today, world-wide, as we celebrate International Day of the Older Person there are around 600 million people aged 60 years and over; this total is projected to double by 2025 reaching as much as two billion by 2050.

Whilst a large proportion of this population will be in the developing world, in Australia, by 2028 there will be more people aged over 60 than under 20.

In our rapidly ageing world, older people are and will continue to increase their critical role in the communities we live in, through their involvement in volunteer work, by providing the wisdom and leadership required at all levels of business, by guiding and supporting their families as matriarchs and patriarchs and increasingly as a growing part of the paid labour force.

But as the population changes, and healthcare and opportunity mean over 60s feel younger and younger, we are seeing something new… the emergence of a new attitude amongst people we call our “Seniors”.

We are seeing the emergence of a new trend that has been labelled, the “Downager”.  A Downager is an Australian aged over 60 for whom age is just a number.  According to demographer, Mark McCrindle, who coined the term, Downagers comprise 24% of people over 60, and are those who feel and act far younger than their age would suggest. They are the fastest growing segment of the 60+ demographic and they value travel, lifestyle, social connection, and they adapt quite easily to new technology.

According to Mccrindle, “today’s Baby Boomers are the ultimate downagers, redefining lifestages, and reinventing retirement. They have adult children at home longer, they’re buying and selling property later in life, and remaining active in the workforce later than ever before. This is a response to the improved life and health realities. In fact based on years of life expectancy, a 65 year old today is the equivalent of a 54 year old in 1950. It is therefore of little surprise that Australians are younger longer and working later”.

Having run Starts at Sixty for over 6 months now, I can thoroughly concur with his demographic analysis.  We listen and talk to over 60s all over our country every day of the year, and in that time I have seen more vibrance, more energy, more adaptability than even I had hoped to find.  Every day that exuberance gets me out of bed and keeps me up at night running the site.

So on the international Day of the Older Person we celebrate you! The Over 60… You are amazing… Stay young. 

Tell us, do you feel like you might be a Downager?  Do you have Downager friends? 

[For more information on Downagers, refer to McCrindle Research website].