For those who haven't started preparing retirement yet, now is a good time especially if they are turning 65 and beyond by the year 2035.
With the national population becoming senior-dependent for the first time in the history of the United States, the country is likely to experience serious consequences in terms of providing sufficient social security and healthcare.
In its latest population report, the U.S. Census Bureau warns of an impending demographic disaster that may occur in the next few decades. The shift will become apparent by 2025 when 76.4 million younger Americans aged 18 and below are to be outnumbered by 78 million seniors aged 65 and up.
Five years after, the scales are tipping further as baby boomers start to enter their retirement years. The result? One out of every five Americans will probably turn out to be a pensioner.
The gap between seniors and children is projected to grow even larger by 2060. According to the federal agency's report, 80 million Americans aged 18 and below are still to be overtaken by the 95 million seniors aged 65 and up.
Such a significant shift is blamed on a modern trend that involves having fewer kids, resulting in a longer life expectancy for couples and a country that grows old at a faster rate.
The Negative Impact Of An Elderly-Dependent Shift
As the elderly population rapidly grows, the number of working-age adults whose contributions pay for pensions will unfortunately decline. Just imagine the possible results of the following figures.
By 2020, there will only be three-and-a-half working-age adults paying for the pension of one eligible recipient. It is projected to worsen by 2060, with the ratio being reduced to merely two-and-a-half working-age adults for every beneficiary.
What's even worse is that this demographic imbalance is not going to affect the nation's Social Security and healthcare system alone. It will impact every other program of the government supported by the money of working-age adults.
"The swelling ranks of retirees from public service... will also present a strain on state and local government retirement systems that have about $1.6 trillion less than what they need to cover the benefits workers are counting on," states a separate report dated March 15.
How America Will Become A Graying Nation
This shift to an elderly-dependent population is already starting as early as now. The United States is already "graying" in 2018 with around 49 million Americans aged 65 years and up.
Nonetheless, the nation will have a younger population in 2030 relative to other countries who have experienced this demographic dilemma at a much earlier time. These countries include Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain.
By 2060, however, America has been predicted to appear similar to Japan, with almost 25 percent of its population belonging to the senior age group.
To be clear, results published in the report Demographic Turning Points for the United States: Population Projections for 2020 to 2060 are simply possible population trajectories made by the Census Bureau based on birth, death, and immigration trends. They will only be considered as facts only if the federal agency's assumptions will occur as predicted.
