An article you should but won’t have read.

As the UK experiences its first real period of anything like summer weather, I doubt if many UK marketers will have been studiously reading a press release issued by the Government’s Actuary’s department (not renown for breathtaking announcements). This is a great shame since what they had to say was fascinating.

I quote: “The population aged 80 and over in the United Kingdom will grow from 2.5 million in 2002 to reach 4.9 million by 2031. Longer-term population projections suggest a continuing increase for around a further 20 years, peaking in the early 2050s at nearly 7 million.”

A few more facts to consider.

The number of older people will increase significantly relative to the number of younger people, with the average (mean) age expected to rise from 39.3 years in 2002 to 43.6 years in 2031.

The number of children aged under 16 is projected to fall by 7.4 per cent from 11.8 million in 2002 to just below 11 million in 2014.

The working population will also become much older. Although little change is projected in the number of adults under age 30, the 30-44 age group is projected to fall by 11.6 per cent from 13.5 million in 2002 to 11.9 million in 2017. Conversely, the 45-59 age group is projected to increase by 15.2 per cent by 2018.

Dick Stroud: www.20plus30.com