Inspired by ILC-UK Chief Executive and founder, Baroness Sally Greengross, who turned 80 on the 29th of June this year, we have launched our new factpack, ’80 at Eighty’ giving 80 facts about life in your 9th decade.

Inspired by ILC-UK Chief Executive and founder, Baroness Sally Greengross, who turned 80 on the 29th of June this year, we have launched our new factpack, ’80 at Eighty’ giving 80 facts about life in your 9th decade.

Across the world, the number of people aged 80 plus has increased from 15 million (1950) to 110 million (2011). By 2050 the number aged over 80 is estimated to reach 400 million.

This factpack incorporates new analysis by ILC-UK of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing by ILC-UK. 80 at Eighty reveals:

Many English 80 year olds remain very active…

• In England over 16,000 people aged 80+ are still in paid employment.
• People aged 80+ may be more satisfied with their sex lives, as 67.9% report the frequency to be about right, in contrast to 54.5% of those aged 50-64.
• More than half (55%) of men aged 80+ are married (or in a civil partnership) vs. 21% of women.

But health problems are common…

• Around 16% of those aged 80-84 have already survived a heart attack.
• 49% of women and 38% of men aged 80+ are often troubled with physical pain.
• 50.8% of men and 56.7% of women aged 80 and over report having a limiting long standing illness.
• Over one in ten of those aged 80-84 have some kind of dementia