Number of over-85's reaches record levels

The number of over-85s in England and Wales has reached record levels. Confirmation of the "greying" of the population is revealed in official statistics which show there are 948,000 over-85s - a 17 per cent increase between 1991 and 1995. This is particularly marked when compared with the rise in the number of pensioners over the same period.

Elsewhere the official figures highlights a marked fall in the population aged 16-29. This stands at 9.9 million - down 928,000 (8.5 per cent) from four years ago. Overal, the population has risen by just 1.4 per cent over the period to 51.8 million and has stayed almost static between 1994 and 1995.