The most popular age in England, as of recent estimates (around 2024), falls within the 30-34 age group, which is the largest single group, with the next largest being 35-39 year olds. This reflects a significant population bulge in middle adulthood, though the overall median age for England is around 40, indicating an aging population, especially outside London.
1. Main points
Today, the largest age group in America is people in their 30s, numbering close to 47 million. In 2019, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest generation, and their share of the population is expected to peak by 2033.
This recommendation was accepted and on January 1, 1970, the age of majority was reduced from 21 to 18 years. (See Family Law Reform Act 1969, for England and Wales, the Age of Majority (Scotland) Act 1969, for Scotland, and the Age of Majority Act (NI) 1969, for Northern Ireland.)
The number of people aged 65-79 is predicted to increase by nearly a third (30%) to over 10 million in the next 40 years, while the number of people aged 80 and over – the fastest growing segment of the population – is set to more than double to over 6 million.
Monaco is the country with the highest median age in the world. The population has a median age of around 57 years, which is around six years more than in Japan and Saint Pierre and Miquelon – the other countries that make up the top three.
Is it illegal for me to date someone older? It's not illegal for you to date someone older. It is illegal for someone over 18 to have a sexual relationship or sexual activity with someone under 16, or under 18 if they are in a position of responsibility like a teacher or a sports coach.
Children's rights cover the early years from when the child is born, right up until the child becomes an adult in Ireland at 18-years of age – unless legally married.
The age of consent to any form of sexual activity is 16 for both men and women. The age of consent is the same regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of a person and whether the sexual activity is between people of the same or different gender.
In 2021, the largest age group in Australia was 30 to 34 year olds. The group that changed the most since 2016 was 35 to 39 year olds, increasing by 277,133 people. The Age Structure of Australia provides key insights into the level of demand for age based services and facilities such as child care.
The participants were monitored until they died or turned 90. At the end of the study, about 16% of the men and about 34% of the women survived to the age of 90. In fact, the authors found women who were taller than 5 feet 9 inches were 31% more likely to reach 90, compared to those who were under 5 feet 3 inches.
Generally, someone over the age of 65 might be considered an older person. However, it is not easy to apply a strict definition because people can biologically age at different rates so, for example, someone aged 75 may be healthier than someone aged 60.
Finally, children born today will live longer than any other generation. About two-thirds will live past 80, and one-third past 90. Almost one in 10 girls born now will live past 100.
Life expectancy at birth in 2020 to 2022 was estimated to be: in England, 78.8 years for males and 82.8 years for females. in Scotland, 76.5 years for males and 80.7 years for females.
"Elderly" isn't a fixed age, but typically starts around 60-65 years, aligning with retirement ages and eligibility for senior programs in many developed countries, though the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests 60+. Some definitions, like the World Economic Forum's (WEF) "prospective age," focus on remaining life expectancy (around 15 more years), while cultures and specific programs (like for Indigenous Australians) may set lower thresholds (50+) or consider cultural roles (Elders).
4 Age of majority
For all the purposes of the law of New Zealand a person shall attain full age on attaining the age of 20 years.
Legal ages are important for children's rights and duties. For example, turning 18 means you're no longer a child. This age affects voting, marriage, and legal contracts. Knowing these ages helps children understand their legal rights.
But it does provide some rough guidelines as to how soon may be too soon to make long-term commitments and how long may be too long to stick with a relationship. Each of the three numbers—three, six, and nine—stands for the month that a different common stage of a relationship tends to end.
"Half-your-age-plus-seven" rule
According to this rule, a 28-year-old would date no one younger than 21 (half of 28, plus 7) and a 50-year-old would date no one younger than 32 (half of 50, plus 7). Although the provenance of the rule is unclear, it is sometimes said to have originated in France.
The age of consent, or the legal age to have sex in the UK, is 16. The laws are there to protect children and not to prosecute young people themselves. However, as any sort of sexual contact without consent is illegal, regardless of the age of those involved.
Key statistics
Life expectancy at birth was 81.1 years for males and 85.1 years for females in 2022–2024, reflecting no change for either males or females from the previous year (2021–2023).
Highest and Lowest Life Expectancy Around the World
Monaco is the Oldest
Monaco leads this ranking with 36% of its population being over the age of 65 (translating to a median age of 57!).