A Report from Stanford Center on Longevity

Stanford Center on Longevity

By the middle of this century, living to the age of 100 will become commonplace, continuing a remarkable trend that saw human life expectancies double between 1900 and 2000, increasing more in a single century than across all prior millennia of human evolution combined.

In the United States, as many as half of today’s 5-year-olds can expect to live to the age of 100, and this once unattainable milestone may become the norm for newborns by 2050. Yet, the social institutions, norms and policies that await these future centenarians evolved when lives were only half as long and need updating. In 2018, The Stanford Center on Longevity launched an initiative called The New Map of Life, believing that one of the most profound transformations of the human experience calls for equally momentous and creative changes in the ways we lead these 100-year lives, at every stage. We can meet challenges that longevity creates if we act now, guided by these principles:

1. Make the Most of the 100-Year Opportunity
2. Invest in Future Centenarians to Deliver Big Returns
3. Align Health Spans to Life Spans
4. Prepare to Be Amazed by the Future of Aging
5. Life Transitions Are a Feature, Not a Bug
6. Learn Throughout Life
7. Work More Years, With More Flexibility
8. Build Financial Security from The Start
9. Age Diversity Is a Net Positive for Societies — and the Bottom Line
10. Build Longevity-Ready Communities