The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny

A demographic futurist explains the coming Super Age—when there will be more people older than sixty-five than those under the age of eighteen—and explores what it could mean for our collective future. 

Societies all over the world are getting older, the result of the fact that we are living longer and having fewer children. At some point in the near future, much of the developed world will have at least twenty percent of their national populations over the age of sixty-five. Bradley Schurman calls this the Super Age. Today, Italy, Japan, and Germany have already reached the Super Age, and another ten countries will have gone over the tipping point in 2021. Thirty-five countries will be part of this club by the end of the decade. This seismic shift in the world population can portend a period of tremendous growth—or leave swaths of us behind. 

Schurman explains how changing demographics will affect government and business and touch all of our lives. Fewer people working and paying income taxes, due to outdated employment and retirement practices, could mean less money feeding popular programs such as Social Security and Medicare—with greater numbers relying on them. The forced retirement or redundancy of older workers could impact business by creating a shortage of workers, which would likely drive wages up and result in inflation. Corporations, too, must rethink marketing strategies—older consumers are already purchasing the majority of new cars, and they are a growing and vitally important market for health technologies and housing. Architects and designers must re-create homes and communities that are more inclusive of people of all ages and abilities.

If we aren’t prepared for the changes to come, Schurman warns, we face economic stagnation, increased isolation of at-risk populations, and accelerated decline of rural communities. Instead, we can plan now to harness the benefits of the Super Age: extended and healthier lives, more generational cooperation at work and home, and new markets and products to explore. The choice is ours to make.

This essential guide for the future of business and society reveals:

• Demographic Destiny: Why the collision of increased longevity and decreased birth rates is the most significant social and economic transformation of our time.
• Business and Economics: How corporations must adapt to a new consumer landscape where older adults are the most vital market and multigenerational workforces are the norm.
• The Future of Retirement: A clear-eyed look at the outdated employment practices that threaten social welfare programs and how we can innovate for a future of longer, more productive working lives.
• Age-Inclusive Design: How architects, designers, and city planners can create homes and communities that are more inclusive for people of all ages and abilities.
• A Roadmap for the Future: Actionable strategies to harness the benefits of the Super Age, from fostering generational cooperation to avoiding economic stagnation and building a more equitable world.