ABSTRACT
In 2010, 17% of the population was aged 65 and over in the United Kingdom, and the size of ageing population has increased by 20% since 1985. The number of people aged 85 and over is the fastest growing segment of population, and the size has doubled in the past years. By 2035, the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to be almost 2.5 times larger than in 2010, reaching 3.5 million and accounting for 5% of the total population. In 2006, the life expectancies of British at birth were 77.2 years for men and 81.6 years for women. The shorter life expectancy in men is caused by male-predominant risk factors such as alcohol dependence, cardiovascular diseases, motor vehicle accidents, and suicide. Within the elderly population, disability rises steeply with age, from 16 per 1000 who are in their 60s to 133 per 1000 who are aged over 80 (Table 39.1) (Ofce for National Statistics, 2011).
