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Centre for Ageing Better, Reframing ageing and demographic change – July 2021

Public perceptions of ageing, older age and demographic change

  • Adults in England hold mixed views about ageing, with under half (46%) expressing a positive view, and the rest holding neutral (35%) or negative (16%) views. 70+ year olds are more positive towards ageing than any other age group (18-34 44%, 35-49 46%, 50-69 41%, 70+ 59%)
  • The public are split almost evenly on whether older age is characterised by frailty, vulnerability, and dependency (37% agree, 35% disagree)
  • Most respondents agree that UK society is ageist (55% vs 29% who do not)
  • Most respondents reject the idea that the growing number of older people are an economic and social burden to society (50% vs 25% who agree)
  • Similarly, the majority of ages disagree that older people benefit at the expense of younger people (54% vs 20% who agree) and that the spending on older people is a waste (80% vs 16% who agree)

Date Published: 21/07/2021

Categories: Public and communities | Social | UK

Client: Centre for Ageing Better

Methodology

Savanta ComRes interviewed 2,185 adults in England online from the 9th to 21st July 2020. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of England by age, gender, region, social grade, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

  1. Centre-for-Ageing-Better_Reframing-ageing_Tables_Jul2020 0.02 MB.

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