America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
No Kids, No Care? Childlessness Among Older Americans
As the United States ages and the youngest baby boomers are now 58, the remarkable changes American families have gone through in recent decades highlight a new phenomenon: older adults without children.
Declines in marriage and fertility and increased cohabitation in the general population are starting to be reflected in the lives of aging adults.
Whether by choice or circumstance, many older adults do not have children. A new Census Bureau report, Childless Older Americans: 2018, provides much-needed information on these older adults and their wellbeing.
Of the 92.2 million adults ages 55 and older in 2018, 15.2 million (16.5%) are childless, defined here as having no biological children.
Continue reading to learn more about:
- How many older adults are childless?
- How do childless older adults compare to older parents?
- Who supports older childless adults?
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