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Census 2021 results show there are more people than ever before aged 65 years and over in the population. Today, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published an article focussing on older people.
This article provides an overview of the characteristics of people aged 65 years and over in 2021 living in England and Wales including legal partnership status, living arrangements, ethnicity, religion, health, disability, caring status and changes since 2011.
The main findings from the analysis presented in this article include:
- The population aged 65 years and over was more ethnically diverse in 2021 than in 2011, with a decrease from 95.5% to 93.6% in the percentage identifying in the high level White ethnic group and increases in the proportions identifying in all other high level ethnic groups.
- While the population aged 65 years and over living in England and Wales is predominantly Christian, the proportion with no religious affiliation has doubled since 2011, reaching 17.5% in 2021.
- In 2021 there were almost 1.2 million unpaid carers aged 65 years and over in England and Wales, just over 1 in 10 of the older population, with almost half of these providing more than 50 hours of unpaid care a week.
- Men and women aged 65 years and over living in England and Wales in 2021 were more likely to be divorced and less likely to be widowed than in 2011, in line with increases in life expectancy.
- In 2021, 3.3 million people aged 65 years and over were living alone in England and Wales, 36.3% of older women down from 39.2% in 2011 and 22.7% of older men up from 21.8%.
- Across older age groups, both men and women living in a couple were more likely to be in very good or good health than those not living in a couple, regardless of whether those not living in a couple lived with other people.
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