Senior Services

Serving Seniors

Task Force on Library Services for Older Adults

The Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on Library Services for Older Adults

Demographics

• In 1995, the estimated population of Missourians aged 60 and over was 959,000.
• By 2025, that number is expected to grow by over 74 percent, when the over 60 population will reach over 1.5 million. At that point in time close to 27 percent of Missouri citizens will be 60 years old or more.
• By 2020, Missouri citizens aged 85 and older will make up 2 percent of the population, numbering over 129,000.
• Thirty-five of our 114 counties will see a gain of 50 percent to over 100 percent growth of persons 60 and over. Currently, 32 percent of Missouri's elderly live in rural areas.
• Additionally, the number of Black, Hispanic and other minorities will make up the fastest growing segments of Missouri's aging population. From 1995 to 2025, the number of Hispanics 60 and over is expected to grow by almost 300 percent.
• According to 1990 census statistics, over 16 percent of Missourians 65 years and older have mobility limitations. While no projections are available regarding how this statistic will change, it is likely that as the number of aged Missourians increases, the percentage of those with conditions that limit their ability to use traditional library services may also increase.