This August 26th more than 4 million 747 thousand older adults commemorate their date

The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) informed that, according to the projections of the population as of 2024, older adults in our country totalized 4 million 747 thousand 803, which represented 13.9% of the total population of the country. According to sex, 52.5% (2 million 493 mil 532) are women and 47.5% (2 million 254 thousand 271) are men.

On the occasion of the Older Adult Day this August 26th the INEI indicated that 2.2% (740 thousand 613) of the mentioned population group are octogenarians, it means, they are 80 years of age and older. According to sex, 43.0% are men (318 thousand 411) and 57.0% women (422 thousand 202) women.

Meanwhile, 4.1% of older adults are 60 to 64 years of age (1 million 409 thousand 126), 3.3% of older adults are 65 to 69 years of age (1 million 107 thousand 771), 2.6% of older adults are 70 to 74 years of age (884 thousand 521) and 1.8% of older adults are 78 to 79 years old (605 thousand 772).

According to the National Household Survey (ENAHO), 39.2% of the households of the country have an older adult among their members; and in the 8.0% lives an octogenarian. Meanwhile, 34.0% of the households have an older adult of 60 to 79 years of age among their members.

According to residence area, in Lima Metropolitan area the households with older adults represent 41.7%; meanwhile, in the rest urban area this proportion reached the 35.9% and in the rural area this proportion reached the 43.0%.

According to the civil state of older adults, it is appreciated that the 58.1% of this group was married or are live-in partners, 23.4% are widows and 18.5% are divorced, separated or are single.

From the total of older adult headed households, 48.3% are nuclear type households, it means, they are constituted by a couple and their children or without them; 24.1% are single-member (composed by only the older adult); 21.6% are extended households, it means, that to the nuclear household are added other relatives; 5.2% are households without a nucleus (composed by a chief without spouse and without children, that live with other persons with he/she can or cannot have kinship relations) and 0.8% are composed households, it means there are inside the household besides other relatives, other members that are not relatives.

33.7% of households, at national level, have as chief of household an older adult; according to sex, there are more older women than older men adults that led the households, therefore, from the total of households that are led by women is 34.8% are older adults, and 33.0% are led by male older adults.

According to the national household survey, 23.6% the households with older adults of the rural area are benefited from food programs; in the urban rest these households represented the 18.9%; and in Lima Metropolitan area represented the 17.7%. Meanwhile, the 19.8% of the households with older adults of the country accessed to food programs.

The ENAHO results point out that the 65.6% of older adults, at national level, stated that they suffer some health problem in the last four weeks. According to the type of health problem, 45.1% suffered a symptom or malaise and 37.9% suffered some disease or accident.

At national level, 91.1% of the older adults are affiliated to some health insurance. According to insurance type, 53.8% only have the Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS), 33.1% only have EsSalud and 4.2% other type of health insurance.