The elderly dependency ratio (EDR), the number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages, between 15 and 64, is currently 33.7%. This is up from 18.5% since year 2005, which means that for every retired person there is now two workers, compared to four workers 30 years ago. The difference in the EDR puts a great strain on Medicare costs that will most likely reach 7.5% of GDP for this year.

The number of people above the age of 80 has grown to 23.8 million, making them 6.3% of the total population compared to 3.6% in 2005. In this age group women are quite over-represented with 61.5%, compared to 50.2% in people below the age of 80.

Argument: The numbers are based on the U.S. Interim Projections by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Questions: Since seniors are less spenders the interest rates will stay low which can grow to a problem where the state has an interest in increased consumption. In what ways will the seniors be stimulated to consume in the future?