By then, about one quarter of the elderly population will belong to a minority racial or ethnic group. In some parts of the United States, such as California, the upsurge in the number of older minority adults will be dramatic. Although the older populations will increase among all racial and ethnic groups, the Hispanic older population is projected to grow the fastest, from about 2 million in 2000 to over 13 million by 2050. In fact, by 2050, the Hispanic population age 65 and older is projected to outnumber the non-Hispanic black population in that age group. Despite the overall increase in educational attainment among older Americans, there are still substantial educational differences among racial and ethnic groups.
Older women are more likely to live alone than are older men.
In 1998, older women were as likely to live with a spouse as they were to live alone, about 41 percent each. Approximately 17 percent of older women lived with other relatives and two percent lived with non-relatives. Living arrangements among older women also vary by race and Hispanic origin. In 1998, about 41 percent of older white and older black women lived alone, compared with 27 percent of older Hispanic women and 21 percent of older Asian and Pacific Islander women. While 15 percent of older white women lived with relatives, approximately one-third of older black, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women lived with other relatives.