The longevity dividend encompasses the health and economic gains expected to accrue to individuals and societies resulting from successful efforts to slow the biological processes of aging. These gains can be achieved if increases in life expectancy are matched by health improvements in how we age and changes in our individual behaviors and social norms—living longer, more purposeful, and productive lives. These changes not only create a longevity dividend for individuals, but also at economic and social levels.
Deeper Dive
The goal is to achieve a longevity dividend starting by delaying onset of age-related disease, thereby keeping our later years healthier. Older adults cost the health system billions every year. Research shows that population aging is associated with an increase in healthcare spending, with approximately 20% of healthcare spending growth predicted to be attributed to aging by 2025. Arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are the most common chronic diseases among older adults.
The rising aging population is leading to an increase in demand for health care for people over the age of 65. In the U.S. about six in 10 older adults will require help with at least two activities of daily living, 56% will use paid long-term services and supports, and 39% will require nursing home care. The longevity dividend can save health care costs by postponing or preventing onset of conditions like frailty, heart disease or dementia. The longevity dividend results in fewer hospitalizations, avoiding or delaying admittance to nursing homes, and better quality of life.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show:
- More than 944,800 Americans die of heart disease or stroke every year costing our health care system $254 billion per year and causing $168 billion in lost productivity on the job. Costs from cardiovascular diseases are projected to hit roughly $2 trillion by 2050.
- Nearly 7 million Americans, including one in nine adults, are age 65 or older. Two-thirds (4.2 million) are women. Deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled between 2000 and 2021, increasing 141%. The cost of caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias was an estimated $360 billion in 2024, with projected increases to nearly $1 trillion (in today’s dollars) by 2050.
- Arthritis affects 53.2 million adults in the United States, or about 1 in every 5. It is a leading cause of disability and chronic pain. Arthritis-attributable medical costs and earning losses were over $300 billion in 2013.
As stated in a 2013 paper on delayed aging, “The economic value of delayed aging is estimated to be $7.1 trillion over 50 years. The greater investment in research to delay aging appears to be a highly efficient way to forestall disease, extend a healthy life, and improve public health.”