Where 76 is the New 65

Six graphics show how dramatically the world is aging, and which countries are aging healthier.

By 2050, the percentage of the elderly is expected to double globally compared to today, as people live longer and an ever-higher percentage of the population is beyond their retirement years, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, conventional measures of longevity don’t reflect the quality of extended time on this Earth.

A new study took a sideways look at aging, health and mortality by analyzing at what age people in a country actually feel like 65-year-olds, as defined by experiencing the health problems of the average 65-year old globally.

The study considered 92 diseases and conditions in 195 countries and territories. The results are a window into both longevity and health status, revealing how well people age, or how poorly, the researchers report this month in the journal Lancet Public Health.

The findings “show that increased life expectancy at older ages can either be an opportunity or a threat to the overall welfare of populations, depending on the aging-related health problems the population experiences regardless of chronological age.” said Dr. Angela Y. Chang, lead author of the study from the Center for Health Trends and Forecasts at the…