AARP&you
NEWS ; EVENTS ; PERKS
THE GOOD LIFE
OLDER AMERICANS ARE ENJOYING THEIR LATER YEARS, WITH A NOD TO GOD
Spiritual
Shift
The percentage of people
who say religion is very
important in their life:
AGES
75+
65-74
18-29
50-64
30-49
54 44%
70%
62%
61%
Time for
What Matters
What do Americans
65 and older like most
about growing older?
More travel 52%
Volunteer work 52%
More respect 59%
Less stress 59%
More financial security 64%
More time for hobbies/interests 65%
Not working 66%
More time with family 70%
of Americans 75+
say their life turned
out even better
than they expected ( ) SOURCE: “GROWING OLD IN AMERICA,” © 2009 PE W SOCIAL & DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, A PEW RESEARCH CENTER PROJEC T ( W WW. PE WSOCIALTRENDS.ORG).
The older you are, the more likely you are to value religion, says a new
Pew Research Center survey, “Growing Old in America.” Do religious
folks outlive their secular age-mates? Maybe. Earlier research indicates
that people who worship regularly follow a healthier lifestyle and share
a life-lengthening social network. And for some, faith grows with age:
a third of those 65-plus said religion became more important over the
course of their lives. Most respondents—religious or not—say life has
rewards that come with age. There’s much, they say, to enjoy about the
present: more time with family, less stress, and more financial security.
45%
