Why the old are getting younger

Researchers at the Humboldt University of Berlin have discovered that we no longer consider ourselves old until we’re 74. What’s more, by the time you reach 74, you think old age begins at 77. Which is something to celebrate – just don’t tell the Department for Work and Pensions or they’ll get more bright ideas about pushing back the state retirement age still further (it’s already due to rise to 68 in the 2040s already, don’t forget).

As well as perceptions, of course, the facts about our ageing society speaks for themselves: when I was born in the 1970s the median age in Britain 30. Now it’s just over 40. There are now 15.5 million people over 60 in Britain – enough to fill 220 parliamentary constituencies – of which 3.2 million are over 80. We even have enough centenarians (around 15,000) to fill a market town the size of Dorking.