The inexorable expansion of the human lifespan may be the most significant change in human life during the 20th Century. In 1900, the average American could expect to live just 47 years. Today, the average American lives 75 years -- an increase of nearly three decades of life in just a century's time.

The aging of the U.S. population has widespread implications for U.S. society, many of which we can scarcely imagine today. We are developing analytical tools and educational products to help policymakers, organizations, and individuals to adapt to the consequences of this unprecedented change.

Topics on Aging

• The Aging U.S. Population: Trends and Projections
• Evolutionary Perspective on Aging: How Long Can the Human Lifespan Expand?
• International Perspective on Aging: How Does Aging in the U.S. Compare to Other Countries?

Publications on Aging

1. Shripad Tuljapurkar, "Theoretical Perspectives on the Evolution of Senescence."
2. Ronald Lee and Shripad Tuljapurkar, "Death and Taxes: How Longer Life Will Affect Social Security," Demography 34:67-81.
3. Shripad Tuljapurkar and Carl Boe, "Mortality Change and Forecasting: How Much and How Little Do We Know?"

Sites of Interest

Research Centers on Aging

• University of California at Berkeley, Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (CEDA)