New York City's Older Adult Population

Increasingly, the older adult population in New York City is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. For example, over half of the city's older adults are immigrants. They also have a higher rate of disease, pneumonia, and influenza than other age groups. Additionally, the number of older New Yorkers is projected to grow by more than 41 percent over the next three decades.

The number of people aged 65 and over in New York City is expected to rise by more than 237,000 over the next decade. Over the past decade, Manhattan has seen an increase in the number of older adults. This growth is happening across all five boroughs. There is no doubt that the number of older residents in New York City will continue to grow in the coming years. The city is currently home to 8.4 million people. The elderly comprise 13% of the city's population.

During the 2000s, Manhattan experienced a "baby boom" that was unique among U.S. cities. During this time, the number of children under five increased by more than 32 percent. However, during this same period, the number of young adults decreased by 23,000. In this age group, obesity is prevalent. Nearly all employment gains after the recession were made in low-wage, part-time jobs. This raises questions about economic opportunities for the workforce of the future.

New York City's young adult workforce development system is not effective. There are significant gaps in how the system is organized, funded, and monitored. It is not coordinated with other systems, and there is a lack of shared performance indicators. This has led to a lack of access to quality jobs, education, and healthcare. There is also a lack of coordination in programs that target high-risk populations. This has resulted in a deterioration in the health and social well-being of the city's young adults.

Older immigrants are more culturally and racially diverse than those who arrived in the United States in the 1950s. For example, over 40 percent of today's immigrants hailed from Asia, Latin America, and other countries. There are also more females in the older adult population. Specifically, nearly 60% of older adults are women, compared with about 24% of the general population. Despite this diversity, most older adults live at home. This translates to a need for tailored interventions.

Over the past few years, smoking rates have decreased in the general population and have even reduced among young people. Nevertheless, tobacco use remains a serious health concern in New York. Moreover, the obesity rate among young people is high, with 15 percent of White elementary school students being obese. The rate for Black and Hispanic elementary school students is significantly higher. This makes tobacco use and obesity disproportionately prevalent among certain populations.

The report also found that more than four out of ten older adults in New York have lost six or more teeth. In addition, nearly one in ten of the city's older adults are HIV/AIDS positive. It is important to note that while these numbers are alarming, they represent only a small percentage of the total older population.