Why do we need a new route map for long lives?

In the UK, more of us can now hope to live for ninety or a hundred years, rather than the traditional “three score years and ten”. But our attitudes and societies are still built around stereotypes about what we can and should do at each stage of our lives. This approach is already beginning to fail both individuals and the country as a whole.

Living longer lives offers an opportunity to think differently about how we live, learn and work. But that won’t happen without a conscious choice to change – along with significant effort, and fresh investment.

Our populations are ageing

Between 2000 and 2050, the number of people in the UK aged over 65 is expected to double, and the number aged over 85 to quadruple, while the ‘working age’ population (20 to 64) will only increase by 20.1%. Our life expectancy at 67 could increase by as much as two years by 2040 (up to 88, from the current average of 86), and the total number of people over state pension age is projected to exceed 17 million. As the UK has become wealthier, our birth rate has declined. To achieve long-term ‘natural’ population replacement, women would need to have, on average, 2.08 children each – but the current average is 1.56.

Healthcare costs are rising

In 2021, the UK’s spending on healthcare amounted to £280.7 billion, or £4,188 per person. The costs are currently rising above inflation, as new treatments drive up costs and demand increases.

But an ageing society is an opportunity

The ILC’s research demonstrates the potential to capitalise on a longevity dividend set to be worth over half a trillion pounds by 2040. Many models intended to show the effects of greater longevity fail to allow for an increasingly economically active older population. But in countries that spend more on health, older people work, volunteer and spend more. We have work to do if we want to get there. The UK has enormous variations in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between regions. And too many working lives are cut short by ageist attitudes, or because employers can’t accommodate health or care needs.

Overturning these barriers will require long-term thinking and investment. We’ll need to make decisions and spend money now, to get benefits we won’t see for decades, whether that’s raising the state pension age, investing in preventative health interventions, or reforming social care.

The ongoing seismic shift in the makeup of our populations must be matched by root and branch change in how we approach public policy in every area of our lives. Our route map explores what needs to happen in every aspect of our lives – it covers work, finance, health and care, our relationships and social connections, where we live, how we get about, and how we shop and enjoy ourselves.

The ILC’s route map for long lives identifies the next steps for UK policymakers – changes that align with expert consensus and current policy direction – to make the most of longevity, by exploring policies that affect us all, throughout our lives.

One hundred not out: A route map for long lives

ILC’s report sets out the challenges facing communities in an ageing world and includes a mix of next-step solutions, bolder ideas, and international examples that we believe could work to tackle them. The full One hundred not out report is broken down into 11 chapters, each of which relates to a certain challenge our increasing life span will pose for government, industries, our society and individuals.

The ideas and solutions included in each chapter are far from an exhaustive list. If anything, we want to build upon them. We aim for these to be a conversation starter and to encourage further debate, investment and action. While we hope there are some ideas that there is a general agreement with, we also hope that there are some that people disagree with too.

We have also published a shorter ‘In brief’ document which is not a traditional executive summary but is intended to give a flavour of a few of the ideas in the full document.

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