The number of older people in the North is “steadily and consistently” increasing, a new survey reveals.
The research “A profile of older people in Northern Ireland – 2013 update,” carried out by the Research Branch of the Office of Minister and Deputy First Minister, shows between 2011 and 2012 the number of adults aged 65 and over increased by 2.6% to 272,800 – the largest year-on-year increase since 1981.
Over the ten year period between 2002 and 2012 the population of this age group increased by 20.3%.
This trend is expected to continue with the number of adults aged 65 and over projected to increase by 12.2%, from 272,800 to 306,000, between 2012 and 2017, and by 63.5% (to 445,900) between 2012 and 2032.
The median age of the population is also projected to increase over the same period, from 37.6 to 42.4.
The relative low income rate for pensioners in Northern Ireland stood at 25% in 2011/12, before housing costs – higher than children (22%), working age adults (20%) and the population as a whole (21%).
After housing costs were deducted, pensioners (15%) were considerably less likely than children (27%), working age adults (23%) and the population as a whole (23%) to be in relative low income in 2011/12.
Households headed by older people were much more likely to be living in fuel poverty than other households in 2011.
Almost two-thirds (66.3%) of households with a household reference person (HRP) of 75 and over and over half (52.0%) of those with a HRP aged between 60 and 74 were in fuel poverty – higher rates than those experienced among other HRP age groups.
Older respondents were generally more likely than younger people to report that a fear of crime had a moderate or great impact on their quality of life in 2011/12.
