April 22, 2014 - Centenarians have lower education levels, are overwhelmingly women and are more likely to live in poverty than the 65-and-older population, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report. The report, "The Centenarian Population: 2007-2011," analyzes characteristics of centenarians and how they compare with those 65 years and older.
"Centenarians are a small group who are a significant indicator of American life," said Brian Kincel, a statistical analyst in the Census Bureau's Age and Special Populations Branch and the report's author.
"By living a century or more, they have seen great changes in the American landscape and their education levels reflect social and economic conditions in the 1920s and earlier. Today, their situations may vary based on many factors, and the statistics in this report begin to tell their story." (see link)
Centenarians made up a very small portion of the total population, representing a rare group. The centenarian population was 81 percent female and this affected some char*acteristics.
Most centenarians were widowed. Centenarians reported a broad range of educational attain*ment. The majority of centenarians received retirement and/or Social Security income and lived above the poverty line. In many aspects, the centenarian population shared comparable trends with the 65 years and over population.
Full article here:
http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging...Senior_Citizens_Explored_by_Census_Bureau.htm
ld: Here are some facts about centenarians vs senior citizens. It seems that most centenarians are women, less formal education, widowed, etc...