Demographics

In many ways, things are looking up for America’s economy. After several years of roller-coaster-ish volatility, the Dow Jones industrial average has climbed to its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. Economic growth, though not robust, has been gathering steam, and the unemployment rate has been inching downward, although fitfully.

A report released earlier this month that rates and compares the world’s most prominent pension systems offers a grim overall conclusion: most pension systems are facing unprecedented challenges as government debts balloon and populations grow disproportionately older, with some of the most advanced retirement systems showing the worst signs of strain.

Retirement on the Edge shows Americans are under enormous financial stress and are worried about their retirement years. The survey findings also show resounding support for Social Security and Medicare across lines of gender, age, race/ethnicity, and party affiliation.

October 1 is International Day of Older Persons, a day to raise awareness about issues affecting older people and to appreciate the contributions they make to society.

So it is fitting that today we look at how older Americans are faring in retirement. One way to measure the wellbeing of the elderly is to measure the degree to which they live in poverty. By measuring poverty, we are able to learn the extent to which a nation's retirement system provides adequate income. More...