Old age in UK officially starts at 70

The official start of old age has jumped five years from the traditional 65th birthday in the United Kingdom (UK), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said here on Tuesday.

In a report looking at when old age begins, the ONS declared 70 is the new 65.

The ONS said 65 years of age in the UK has traditionally been taken as the marker for the start of old age, most likely because it was the official retirement age for men and the age at which they could draw their state pension.

In terms of working patterns, added the ONS, age 65 as the start of old age is now out of date.

"There is no longer an official retirement age, the state pension age is rising, and increasing numbers of people work past the age of 65 years," said the ONS in its report entitled "When does older age begin."

The leap to 70 also recognises that people are living longer, healthier lives.

"In 2018, a man aged 65 could expect to live for another 18.6 years, while a woman could expect to live for 21 more years. So, on average, at age 65 years, women still have a quarter of their lives left to live and men just over one fifth," said the report.

"Someone aged 65 years today has different characteristics, particularly in terms of their health and life expectancy, than someone the same age a century ago," the ONS added.