More than one in six people in England and Wales, 18.6% or 11.1 million, were aged 65 and over at Census 2021, up from 16.4% (9.2 million) a decade earlier (ONS, Census 2021, England and Wales, published 28 June 2022).
The ageing of the UK population is one of the slow-moving facts that shapes later-life planning. As the older age groups grow, more families reach the stage where a will, a lasting power of attorney, later-life care and inheritance tax come into view. This piece gathers the current statistics from named official sources, mainly the Office for National Statistics, and offers some hedged, general reading of what they can and cannot tell you. Every figure is dated and linked to its source, and the projections describe possible futures rather than certainties.
Key figures at a glance
On the most recent official data, 18.6% of people in England and Wales are aged 65 and over, and across the UK the number aged 85 and over is projected to almost double by 2047. The old-age dependency ratio is projected to rise over the same period. Each statistic below carries its named source and reference period.
| Measure | Figure | Source & period |
|---|---|---|
| Population aged 65 and over (England & Wales) | 18.6% (11.1 million) | ONS Census 2021 (21 March 2021) |
| Same measure at Census 2011 | 16.4% (9.2 million) | ONS Census 2021 (comparison to 2011) |
| Population aged 85 and over (UK), mid-2022 | 1.7 million (2.5%) | ONS 2022-based projections |
| Projected population aged 85 and over (UK), mid-2047 | 3.3 million (4.3%) | ONS 2022-based projections |
| Old-age dependency ratio (UK), mid-2022 | 278 per 1,000 | ONS 2022-based projections |
| Projected old-age dependency ratio (UK), mid-2047 | 302 per 1,000 | ONS 2022-based projections |
| Median age (England & Wales) | 40 years | ONS Census 2021 (up from 39 in 2011) |
Reference periods as published. Census figures are for the census date of 21 March 2021 (bulletin published 28 June 2022); projection figures are ONS 2022-based national population projections for the UK (published 28 January 2025). Projections are not forecasts and are subject to revision at each release.
How many people are aged 65 and over
At Census 2021, 18.6% of the population of England and Wales, some 11.1 million people, were aged 65 and over, up from 16.4% (9.2 million) in 2011 (ONS, Census 2021, England and Wales, published 28 June 2022). That is an increase of about 1.9 million older people across a single decade, and it is the clearest single sign of an ageing population.
| Census | Aged 65 and over (England & Wales) | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 9.2 million | 16.4% |
| 2021 | 11.1 million | 18.6% |
Source: ONS, Population and household estimates, England and Wales, Census 2021 (published 28 June 2022). Census 2021 covered England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland ran separate censuses. Figures subject to change.
The oldest old: people aged 85 and over
The fastest relative growth is among the oldest age group. Across the UK, the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to rise from 1.7 million in mid-2022 (about 2.5% of the population) to 3.3 million by mid-2047 (about 4.3%), close to a doubling (ONS 2022-based national population projections, UK, published 28 January 2025). This is the age band where later-life care and mental capacity questions most often arise.
| Year | Aged 85 and over (UK) | Share of population |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-2022 | 1.7 million | 2.5% |
| Mid-2047 (projected) | 3.3 million | 4.3% |
Source: ONS 2022-based national population projections, UK (published 28 January 2025). Projections assume current trends in fertility, mortality and migration; they are not forecasts and are subject to change.
The old-age dependency ratio
The old-age dependency ratio compares the number of people of pensionable age with those of working age. Across the UK it is projected to rise from 278 people of pensionable age per 1,000 of working age in mid-2022 to 302 per 1,000 by mid-2047, with the pensionable-age population growing from 12.0 million to 15.1 million over the same period (ONS 2022-based projections, UK, published 28 January 2025). These figures already allow for planned rises in the State Pension age.
| Measure (UK) | Mid-2022 | Mid-2047 (projected) |
|---|---|---|
| Old-age dependency ratio (per 1,000 working age) | 278 | 302 |
| People of pensionable age | 12.0 million | 15.1 million |
| Total UK population | 67.6 million | 76.6 million |
Source: ONS 2022-based national population projections, UK (published 28 January 2025). The ratio reflects State Pension age rising to 67; projections are not forecasts and are subject to change.
A rising median age
The population is not only growing older at the top; its midpoint is drifting up too. The median age in England and Wales was 40 years at Census 2021, up from 39 in 2011, with Wales slightly older at 42 (ONS, Census 2021, England and Wales, published 28 June 2022). Median age varies widely by area, which is worth remembering before reading too much into a single national figure.
A single decade added nearly two million people aged 65 and over in England and Wales. The direction of travel is steady, even where the year-to-year numbers move.
What the numbers mean
Read together, the figures describe a population with a growing older segment and a rapidly growing oldest segment, at a time when the tax-free inheritance thresholds are fixed. More than one in six people in England and Wales are already aged 65 and over (ONS Census 2021, published 28 June 2022), and the 85-and-over group is projected to almost double by 2047 (ONS 2022-based projections, published 28 January 2025).
Projections are not promises. They assume current trends continue, they are revised at each release, and they say nothing about any single household. With that caveat, a few general observations tend to follow, and none of them is advice for your situation:
- More years where capacity can change. A larger oldest-old group means more people spend time during which a lasting power of attorney could matter. Many people choose to consider one while they still have full mental capacity (gov.uk/power-of-attorney, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Care costs become more common. Growth in the 85-and-over group is where later-life care most often arises. Care fees planning, meaning steps that may help limit or mitigate the impact of care costs, is one area some people discuss with a qualified adviser. Local authorities apply deprivation of assets rules, and deliberately giving away assets to reduce a care assessment can be challenged, so this is not a route to deliberately avoid care fees (gov.uk, paying for your care, as at July 2026, subject to change).
- Frozen thresholds, an ageing population. The nil-rate band of £325,000 and residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 are frozen to the end of the 2030-31 tax year (5 April 2031) (gov.uk/inheritance-tax, as at July 2026, subject to change; and the threshold freeze). As more people reach older ages with rising asset values, a slowly growing number of estates may come into charge.
- Plans age too. Because both the statistics and the rules move, a plan written years ago may no longer reflect either. Many people review their arrangements periodically rather than once.
For a fuller walk through the documents these numbers touch, our estate planning guide explains how wills, trusts, powers of attorney and tax planning fit together. For the care side, our overview of Care Home Fees sets out how the funding rules work, and our data page on average care home costs gathers the latest published figures.
The ageing population across the UK
The 65-and-over and median-age figures on this page are from Census 2021, which covered England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland conducted their own censuses, and the ONS national population projections are UK-wide (ONS 2022-based projections, UK, published 28 January 2025). The planning rules differ by nation too.
This article describes the law of England and Wales. Scotland has its own succession law, including legal rights that can give a spouse and children a fixed share of an estate, and it uses confirmation rather than a grant of probate. Northern Ireland has a separate but broadly similar system to England and Wales. Where an estate touches more than one jurisdiction, it can be worth taking advice in each.
Sources and methodology
Every statistic on this page comes from a named official source and was checked against the live publication. Census figures are ONS counts for the census date of 21 March 2021; projection figures are ONS 2022-based national population projections for the UK. Projections summarise the effect of assumed trends and do not forecast any individual's circumstances.
- ONS, Population and household estimates, England and Wales, Census 2021 (published 28 June 2022): share and number aged 65 and over, comparison to 2011, and median age. ons.gov.uk
- ONS 2022-based national population projections, UK (published 28 January 2025): population aged 85 and over, old-age dependency ratio, people of pensionable age, and total population, mid-2022 and mid-2047. ons.gov.uk
- gov.uk Inheritance Tax (as at July 2026, subject to change): thresholds and rates. gov.uk/inheritance-tax and the nil-rate band freeze.
- gov.uk, paying for your care and power of attorney (as at July 2026, subject to change): care funding, deprivation of assets, and lasting powers of attorney. gov.uk/paying-for-your-care and gov.uk/power-of-attorney.
Frequently asked questions
How many people in the UK are aged 65 and over?
At Census 2021, 18.6% of people in England and Wales, around 11.1 million, were aged 65 and over, up from 16.4% (9.2 million) in 2011 (ONS Census 2021, England and Wales, published 28 June 2022). Census 2021 covered England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland ran separate censuses. Figures are subject to change.
Is the UK population getting older?
On the available data, yes. The share aged 65 and over in England and Wales rose from 16.4% to 18.6% between 2011 and 2021, and the median age rose from 39 to 40 (ONS Census 2021, published 28 June 2022). ONS projections point to further ageing across the UK. Figures are subject to change.
How many people aged 85 and over will there be in 2047?
The UK population aged 85 and over is projected to rise from 1.7 million in mid-2022 to 3.3 million by mid-2047, close to a doubling (ONS 2022-based national population projections, UK, published 28 January 2025). Projections assume current trends continue, are not forecasts, and are revised at each release.
What is the old-age dependency ratio in the UK?
The UK old-age dependency ratio was 278 people of pensionable age per 1,000 of working age in mid-2022, projected to reach 302 per 1,000 by mid-2047 (ONS 2022-based projections, UK, published 28 January 2025). These figures allow for planned State Pension age rises and are subject to change.
What does an ageing population mean for inheritance tax?
An ageing population, together with rising asset values, can mean a slowly growing number of estates come into charge while the thresholds stay fixed. The nil-rate band of £325,000 and residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 are frozen to the end of 2030-31 (gov.uk/inheritance-tax, as at July 2026, subject to change). It cannot predict any individual estate's position.
Why do ageing statistics matter for estate planning?
They help frame how long a plan may need to work and how many later-life years might involve reduced health, care or lost capacity. They are general context, not a personal prediction. Because both the statistics and the rules change, many people choose to review their arrangements periodically and to discuss their circumstances with a qualified professional.