Spending Longer and Living More
Why aging consumers will shape global spending through 2036: a joint report by World Data Lab, NielsenIQ, and Silver Economy.
"The aging consumer is not a niche. They are the market."
A new era for global consumption
Global life expectancy rose from roughly 48 years in 1960 to 74 in 2026, while fertility fell from 4.7 to 2.2. The 60+ population is now growing more than three times faster than the overall global population.
"In my lifetime, global life expectancy has increased by more than 25 years. The population aged 60-plus is growing more than three times faster than the overall population. We are witnessing a structural transformation of the consumer base, not a trend, a permanent shift."Pedro Ros, Founder, Silver Economy
The four core Silver Economy markets
The Silver Economy, products and services designed for aging populations, totals $4.5 trillion, growing 7% a year in real terms, more than double the 3% growth of consumer spending overall.
Where the growth is coming from
North America leads today and through 2036. Asia-Pacific is growing fastest and set to overtake Europe.
Global cities where 60+ dominate spending, 2036
"APAC is on course to surpass Europe in total 60-plus spending by 2036, but the US will still be the leading older adult consumer market by a significant margin. One in three dollars spent globally by someone over sixty will be spent in North America."Regan Leggett, Customer Success, World Data Lab
A case study in the longevity economy
America's {{ usPeople }} adults aged 60+ outspend the entire GDP of every country except the US and China itself.
"If you gave them their own passport, they would be the third biggest spenders on the planet. This is not a segment to address with a diversity rider in your marketing deck. It is the core of the American consumer economy."Download the full report →Regan Leggett, World Data Lab
Sun Belt cities lead US Silver spending (pop. 300k+)
What happens to spending at sixty
A systematic reallocation of wallet share, away from lifestyle and mobility, toward health, protection, and home. Not a decline in spending; a change in priorities.
How Americans think about aging
"The concern about aging is rising fastest among people who are furthest away from it. The anti-aging, longevity, and preventive wellness categories are not primarily 65-plus markets. They are 18 to 64 markets that the oldest consumer eventually enters."Sherry Frey, VP Total Wellness, NielsenIQ
Value-consciousness rises with age
Share of adults who did the following in the past 12 months
Condition-specific, not lifestyle-led
Boomers engage broadly across supplements but direct their highest spending to specific health conditions. Health products and services are the fastest-growing category for US 60+ consumers, at a 5.9% CAGR.
Supplement categories (Boomers)
Vitamins & minerals
Boomer over-indexing in condition-specific F&B
Value index vs. overall consumer panel (100 = average)
Busting the digital myth
Older consumers are far more digitally engaged than reputation suggests. Adults 55+ are TikTok Shop buyers for health and beauty at a rate nearly matching the general population.
TikTok Shop buyer index: Health & Beauty
100 = proportional to general population
"The narrative that older consumers are not digital consumers is not just wrong, it is commercially harmful. Brands that maintain channel strategies that systematically exclude or deprioritize 60-plus audiences are leaving significant revenue on the table."Rachel Bonsignore, VP, NielsenIQ Consumer Life
The fastest-growing segments
Every category growing at double digits involves technology, healthcare science, or financial security. Real CAGR through 2036.
Five strategic priorities
Today, adults 60+ account for 30 cents of every dollar spent in America. By 2036, that reaches 33 cents worldwide.
"The aging consumer isn't a niche. They're the market. And the companies that recognize that first, that build for them, design for them, speak to them honestly, will be the market leaders of the 2030s."
Get the complete report
Enter your details to download the full PDF from World Data Lab, NielsenIQ, and Silver Economy.
