Introduction

And so to a final stage of transition, from old age to death, via the years of being truly elderly, which for statistical convenience more than biological import we label here from age 75.

These are the years in which almost nobody is in paid employment, in which almost nobody is caring for children, in which good health is not to be expected, and years that, until very recently, we almost all did not expect to reach. Now a majority of men (63%) at current mortality rates can expect to reach age 75 from birth. But of those who do make it to 75, a quarter are dead by 80, over half by 85, four out of five by 90, 95% by 95 and 99% by 99.

In contrast, three quarters (75%) of women at current rates can expect to make it to age 75 from birth. Of those, 20% are dead by 80, 40% by 85, two thirds (68%) by 90, 90% by 95 and 97% by age 99. Given these survival rates, the Queen should be sending almost three times as many birthday telegrams to women aged 100 as she does to men.

Below left we show the simple geography of those aged 75+. This is the last of our maps of the basic distribution of the seven ages of life. Note here, for the last time, the continued exodus to the coasts, but now especially the south coast, along the length of which the truly elderly, who are likely to survive a little longer than most, flock to. However, as the evidence from earlier years should make abundantly clear, it is not the clement weather that helps them live a little longer on the southern coast but privileges earlier in life.

The graph opposite continues the graph started on page 208. The left-hand axis shows the percentage of the truly elderly who can expect to die each year given mortality rates in Britain (200204). The right-hand axis shows the growing proportion of that population who are female as a result of these differences in rates.