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Population Age Distribution

Summary Indicator Report Data View Options

Why Is This Important?

Aging may result in declines in function of the senses and activities of daily life and increased susceptibility to and frequency of disease, frailty, or disability. Advancing age is the major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases.[https://www.nia.nih.gov/about/aging-strategic-directions-research/understanding-dynamics-aging ^1^]

Definition

Percent of the total population that is in each age group

Data Source

American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau
(https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/)

How the Measure is Calculated

Numerator:Estimated number of persons in each age group
Denominator:Estimated total population of all ages

How Are We Doing?

For all age groups under 45 years, there are more males than females in New Jersey. Females outnumber males in each age group aged 45 years and over. There are more than twice as many females as males among those aged 85 years and over. The proportion of New Jersey's population aged 65 years and over increased 29% between 2010 and 2022. The number of New Jersey residents in that age group increased 35% in the same time period.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The proportion of the population that is aged 65 years and older is about the same in New Jersey (17.4%) and in the U.S. as a whole (17.3%). However, the median age of New Jersey residents is 40.4 years compared to 39.0 years for the nation as a whole.

Available Services

New Jersey Department of Human Services, [https://nj.gov/humanservices/doas/home/index.html Division of Aging Services] administers a number of federal and state-funded programs that make it easier for older adults to live in the community as long as possible with independence, dignity and choice.

More Resources

U.S. Census Bureau, [https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ data.census.gov] U.S. Census Bureau, [https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0400000US34, New Jersey Profile] Healthy People 2030 [https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives#populations Populations]: Adolescents, Children, Infants, Older Adults, Men, Women

Footnote References

1. [https://www.nia.nih.gov/about/aging-strategic-directions-research/understanding-dynamics-aging Understanding the Dynamics of the Aging Process], National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

Indicator Data Last Updated On 10/25/2023, Published on 02/09/2024
NJ State Health Assessment Data, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 (https://nj.gov/health/shad)