In 1952, the year that Queen Elizabeth II became sovereign, forty letters of congratulations were written to Australians for turning 100. This year, 2,643 Australians will turn 100 and in 2044 the number of congratulatory letters written to Australians turning 100 will increase to 18,567!
In 2021, Australia is experiencing a baby boom, with births exceeding 315,000 per year, as well as an increasingly aging population. The over 65s make-up 15% of our population today, and forecasts project that this cohort will make up 17% in 2024. By 2044, one in five Australians (20%) will be aged over 65.
Australia’s population pyramids visually show the growth of our aging population. In 2044 our population pyramid will become inverted with the number of over 60s outnumbering the under 18s for the first time.
The Australian median age for our population is also increasing – three decades ago our median age was 30.5 today it is 37.3 and in 2044 it is projected to be 40.
However, one interprets these startling figures the Queen (or her successor), will definitely need a helping hand for writing her congratulatory letters writing in 2044!
