Healthcare Horizons: The First Baby Boomer Hits 80 This Year, So What?

Research evidence excerpt

Healthcare Horizons: The First Baby Boomer Hits 80 This Year, So What?

Global Research

14 July 2026ab

Healthcare Facilities & Managed Care Equities

AmericasHealthcare Horizons: The First Baby Boomer Hits

80 This Year, So What? Healthcare Providers

AJ Rice

Analyst

aj.rice@ubs.com

With this research note, we are introducing a new thematic report which we are calling +1-212-713 4299

"Healthcare Horizons" We plan to use these reports to look at broader evolving themes

Steve Bock, CFA

in healthcare services. This first edition examines the implications of the first baby

HOLT Sector Specialist

boomer reaching 80 years of age in 2026. steven.bock@ubs.com

+1-312-525 5724

The Baby Boomer Demographic is Set to Boost the "Over 80" Age Cohort for the James Kurek

Next 15 Years Analyst

The year 2026 represents a pivotal demographic milestone, as the first members of the james.kurek@ubs.com

Baby Boomer generation (born 1946–1964) reach 80 years of age. Although population +1-212-713 3704

aging has been an enduring trend, numerous demographic analyses highlight that Ashley Minns

outcomes, healthcare utilization, and expenditures undergo significant shifts once HOLT Sector Specialist

individuals reach their 80s, setting this stage apart from the broader 65+ demographic. ashley.minns@ubs.com

Brookings Institution research projects that the U.S. population aged 80 and older will +1-212-713 8120

approximately double between the mid 2020s and mid 2040s, rising from roughly 15 Jonathan Yong

mln to nearly 30 mln individuals. U.S. Census Bureau data similarly shows older Analyst

population cohorts are expected to grow at a faster rate than younger age cohorts. jonathan.yong@ubs.com

More specifically, the Census Bureau projects that adults aged 85 and older are expected +1-212-713 6268