Spotlight: Longevity in Context
"Aging is a huge, global economic problem." — Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO & Founder of Insilico Medicine, Scientific Advisor, Longevity Science Foundation.
In light of The Wall Street Journal's recent coverage of America's spiraling national debt, it's important to highlight one of its most overlooked contributors: demographic aging.
In the US, the share of people aged 65 or older is growing faster than any other age group. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65. That group is expected to reach 71.6 million (up from 62.7 million in 2025), making up 20.7% of the population in 2030. Meanwhile, the number of people under 18 is projected to decline. By 2055, the ratio of working-age adults (25-64) to retirees will fall to just 2.2 to 1.
This dynamic is not unique to the US: population aging is a global issue. While longer lifespans are a triumph of science and social progress, they place increasing pressure on healthcare and social systems worldwide. Human life expectancy has increased drastically, but it has not been accompanied by a corresponding extension of healthspan. In other words, we've added years, but not necessarily healthy ones.
In 2015, the US national debt stood at $18 trillion. As of 2025, it exceeds $36 trillion. A significant share of public spending now goes to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, programs that expand as the population ages. As Dr. Zhavoronkov puts it, if we do not extend productive longevity and keep aging populations healthy and active, the economic burden will intensify. Instability in the US economy, being central to the global system, will have global consequences.
Current trends make it evident that the additional years gained are often spent in poor health. Over 85 percent of US adults aged 65 and older suffer from at least one chronic illness, and roughly 65-75 percent of those adults live with two or more. Women, in particular, live longer than men on average but spend a greater portion of those years in poor health. We need forward-looking solutions, and we need them urgently: investing in science that extends healthspan, enhancing productivity in later years, and building inclusive systems that support longer, healthier, and more active lives.
Population aging is a global issue, and it is accelerating. If you care about the economic and societal implications of aging and want to help prevent or alleviate age-related diseases, we have great news: you can make a real difference. Dollar-to-dollar donations go directly to research in preventive diagnostics, precision medicine, AI tools, and novel therapeutics: https://longevity.foundation/support-us
Sources: usdebtclock.org, cbo.gov, spglobal.com, Longevity Education Hub
Article: The Wall Street Journal – JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon Predicts 'Crack in the Bond Market,' Citing US Fiscal Mess
"Aging is a huge, global economic problem." — Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO & Founder of Insilico Medicine, Scientific Advisor, Longevity Science Foundation.
In light of The Wall Street Journal's recent coverage of America's spiraling national debt, it's important to highlight one of its most overlooked contributors: demographic aging.
In the US, the share of people aged 65 or older is growing faster than any other age group. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65. That group is expected to reach 71.6 million (up from 62.7 million in 2025), making up 20.7% of the population in 2030. Meanwhile, the number of people under 18 is projected to decline. By 2055, the ratio of working-age adults (25-64) to retirees will fall to just 2.2 to 1.
This dynamic is not unique to the US: population aging is a global issue. While longer lifespans are a triumph of science and social progress, they place increasing pressure on healthcare and social systems worldwide. Human life expectancy has increased drastically, but it has not been accompanied by a corresponding extension of healthspan. In other words, we've added years, but not necessarily healthy ones.
In 2015, the US national debt stood at $18 trillion. As of 2025, it exceeds $36 trillion. A significant share of public spending now goes to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, programs that expand as the population ages. As Dr. Zhavoronkov puts it, if we do not extend productive longevity and keep aging populations healthy and active, the economic burden will intensify. Instability in the US economy, being central to the global system, will have global consequences.
Current trends make it evident that the additional years gained are often spent in poor health. Over 85 percent of US adults aged 65 and older suffer from at least one chronic illness, and roughly 65-75 percent of those adults live with two or more. Women, in particular, live longer than men on average but spend a greater portion of those years in poor health. We need forward-looking solutions, and we need them urgently: investing in science that extends healthspan, enhancing productivity in later years, and building inclusive systems that support longer, healthier, and more active lives.
Population aging is a global issue, and it is accelerating. If you care about the economic and societal implications of aging and want to help prevent or alleviate age-related diseases, we have great news: you can make a real difference. Dollar-to-dollar donations go directly to research in preventive diagnostics, precision medicine, AI tools, and novel therapeutics: https://longevity.foundation/support-us
Sources: usdebtclock.org, cbo.gov, spglobal.com, Longevity Education Hub
Article: The Wall Street Journal – JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon Predicts 'Crack in the Bond Market,' Citing US Fiscal Mess