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Maureen O’Brien maureen@silverawakening.com www.silverawakening.com
A Powerful Demographic.
A Significant Representation Gap.
Women over 50 represent one of the largest and most influential demographic groups in the United States. Yet economic influence has not translated into equal cultural visibility.
Women 50+: THE NUMBERS
67+ million
Nearly 40% of all women in the U.S. are age 50+.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, released June 25, 2026.
$12.5 trillion
Contributed annually to U.S. GDP by 50+ population (2024)
Source: AARP Longevity Economy® Outlook 2026, June 2, 2026.
50%+ Spending
U.S. Consumer spending driven by the 50+ demographic
Source: AARP, Longevity Economy® Outlook 2026, June 2, 2026; reported by Cameron Huddleston, “Older Americans Are Boosting the Economy for All,” AARP, June 2, 2026.
$34 trillion
Projected U.S. assets controlled by women by 2030, representing approximately 38%.
Source: McKinsey & Company, The New Face of Wealth: The Rise of the Female Investor,
May 8, 2025.
40% wealth
Women in control of U.S. wealth by 2035
Source: McKinsey & Company, US Wealth Management in 2035: A Transformative Decade Begins, Jan. 29, 2026.
The Representation & Life-Stage Gap
Despite their economic power:
64% Women 50+ Feel Unseen
Women 50+ rarely or never see themselves represented in today's media
Source: Kerman, Sarah. Mirror/Mirror: AARP Survey of Women's Reflections on Beauty, Age and Media™: Authenticity and Menopause. Washington, DC: AARP Research, March 2025.
DOI: 10.26419/res.00892.001.
91% Realistic
Women 50+ want more realistic images of women their age in beauty/grooming advertising
Source: AARP Survey of Women’s Reflections on Beauty, Age and Media™, fielded
July 31–August 21, 2024.
81% Represent
Women 50+ support brand that feature a mix of ages.
Source: AARP Survey of Women’s Reflections on Beauty, Age and Media™, fielded
July 31–August 21, 2024.
Economic Influence
Women over 50 are primary decision-makers across key sectors:
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Healthcare and Wellness
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Financial Services and Wealth Management
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Travel and Lifestyle
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Housing and Family Support
They often manage spending not only for themselves—but for multiple generations.
Workforce & Entrepreneurship
Women are remaining engaged in the workforce later in life. In 2025,
15.7% of women aged 65+ participated in the labor force, compared with 9.4% in 2000.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Nearly one in five older Americans
in the labor force in 2025,” The Economics Daily, May 28, 2026.
The Care Economy
61% of the nation's 63 million family caregivers are women.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, July 24, 2025.
$1.01 trillion—estimated economic value of family caregiving in 2024.
Source: AARP, The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, March 26, 2026