Forty years ago, less than thirty percent were women. Another difference is that most of the volunteers today are older. Today the average age is twenty-eight. Seven percent of Peace Corps volunteers today are older than fifty. The oldest volunteer is seventy-nine.
Some people join after retiring from their jobs.
They can offer knowledge and skills gained from many years of experience in business, health care, or education. In the past few years, the Peace Corps has succeeded in getting more volunteers from minority groups in the United States. Working in the Peace Corps is not easy. Not everyone is able to live and work in another culture, far from home. Also, not everyone is able to deal with poor living conditions.