In 30 years. the number of people reaching age 100 in the U.S. is projected to quadruple, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. The center projects that by 2054, the U.S. will be the home of 422,000 centenarians, up from 101,000 in 2024. And the percentage of the total population that is age 100 or older will increase from 0.03% today to 0.1% in 2054.

The projected increase in super-agers is one sign of the increased health and prosperity of the nation. However, the proportion of these super-agers will be overwhelmingly white, reflecting the recent “life expectancy inequality” that’s been conferring longevity gains mostly to people with above-average educational attainment and wealth. That’s a disturbing trend that should cause concern among our nation’s policymakers.

How Should Individuals Plan For More Centenarians?

So, how should today’s pre-retirees and retirees plan ahead for the possibility of more centenarians? While some people might say they want to live to age 100, it will be no small feat to still be financially secure at that age and reasonably healthy to enjoy being alive.

On the other hand, many people say they don’t want to live to age 100 because of the serious financial and health challenges that can arise. While most people won’t actually live to age 100, many people will make it to their mid-90s, even if they don’t want to live that long. This will create essentially the same financial and health challenges as living to age 100

As a result, regardless of your life expectancy goals, it’s smart to plan as if you’ll live a long time in retirement, even to age 100. That will require making some smart decisions about your finances, health, and lifestyle.

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