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About this series |
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| Each overview in the Focus on series combines data from the 2001 Census and other sources to illustrate its topic, and provide links to further information. This online overview is accompanied by a full report which contains more comprehensive analysis. |
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Focus on Older People paints a picture of people aged 50 and over in the UK today. It includes information on their characteristics, lifestyles and experiences, placing particular emphasis on changes with age.
Older people make up an increasing proportion of our population. The blurring of the various stages in our lifecycle mean that older people are as varied as any other group in our society. Many older people lead active and healthy lives for many years over the age of 50. Employment rates for people in their fifties have risen in the past decade, and it is this age group who are most likely to be providing unpaid care. However, for those at older ages, there may be barriers which prevent them from participating in a wide variety of activities. These may be financial, or related to health or lack of transport.
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