Gerontology Statistics

AARP Policy and Research Statistics
US Census Bureau’s International Programs Center includes several aging related publications, such as An Aging World, 2001, by Kevin Kinsella and Yvonne J. Gist, November 2001, 190 pages, International Programs Centre (IPC), U.S. Census Bureau. Older Workers Retirements and Pensions A Comparative International Chartbook by Kevin Kinsella and Yvonne J. Gist (12/95, 93 pp.) International Brief: Gender and Aging Caregiving 1998 Gender and Aging: Mortality and Health 1998 Old Age Security Reform in China 1995 Area Administration on Aging- Statistical Information on Older Persons Population, demographics, housing, economic conditions, health status, etc. Over 15 resources, compiled by Administration on Aging. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Statistics and Data "Broad range of quantitative information on Medicare's programs, from estimates of future Medicare and Medicaid spending to enrollment, spending, and claims data. CMS also offers a broad range of consumer research to help its partners and staff.” Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, which was established in 1986 with the goal of “bringing together Federal agencies that share a common interest in improving aging-related data”, collects this data for the Older Americans 2004: Key Indicators of Well-Being report about population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. The 2000 report and links to other federal data sources are also available. Health and Retirement Study The "Health and Retirement Study (HRS) surveys more than 22,000 Americans over the age of 50 every two years. Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA U01AG09740), the study paints an emerging portrait of an aging America's physical and mental health, insurance coverage, financial status, family support systems, labor market status, and retirement planning. HRS data products are available without cost to researchers and analysts. User Registration is required in order to download files." Health and Medical Care Archive " subject matter of the data collections in HMCA, which include surveys of health care professionals, investigations of access to medical care, evaluations of innovative programs for the delivery of health care, and surveys on substance abuse." Some of these statistics are only proprietarily available through ICPSR National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging "The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), located within ICPSR, is funded by the National Institute on Aging. NACDA acquires and preserves data relevant to gerontological research, processing as needed to promote effective research use, disseminates them to researchers, and facilitates their use." Some data is available online and some is only available proprietarily via ICPSR. National Center for Health Statistics- Aging Activities- Trends in Health and Aging Aging Activities is at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Aging Activities' mission is to perform research and analysis and to disseminate data on the health and health care utilization of aging Americans. The website includes "Data Warehouse on Trends in Health and Aging," a collection of data tables providing information on trends of health and health care use by older Americans (viewable online), and "Longitudinal Studies of Aging," a family of surveys designed to measure changes in health status, health-related behaviors, health care utilization, and the causes and consequences of these changes within and across two cohorts of elderly Americans (data is not online but CD-ROM's of the data are available).

Social Security Administration “The Office of Policy is the agency's source for statistics on the impact and operations of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs and on the earnings of the working and beneficiary populations. The office develops and maintains a series of detailed statistical databases, prepares a broad range of statistical tables, produces statistical compilations and publications both in print and on the Internet, and develops information for special requests on current policy issues.” US Census Bureau: Age Data National, State, and County levels.

Wisconsin Longitudinal Study “(WLS) is a long-term study based on a random sample of 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. A companion sample contains comparable data for a randomly selected sibling of most respondents. WLS data cover social background, youthful aspirations, schooling, military service, labor market experiences, family characteristics and events, social participation, psychological characteristics, health and well-being, and retirement.” World Population Prospects “The 2004 Revision is the nineteenth round of official United Nations population estimates and projections prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.”