The Age When We Lose Our Parents

"The loss of one or both parents can profoundly affect a person's life," say Census Bureau researchers Zachary Scherer and Rose M. Kreider in an analysis of the age at which people lose their parents. Parents provide financial, emotional, and practical support to their children throughout life, note Scherer and Kreider. Consequently, the age at which one loses a parent can affect quality of life and standard of living.

Little has been known about the age at which Americans experience the loss of their parents—until now. The 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation asked respondents whether their parents were still alive. Scherer and Kreider analyzed the data and found that the loss of one or more parents becomes the norm in the 45-to-54 age group...

Percent with one or more deceased parents
Total, 18-plus: 42.2%
Under age 18: 2.8%
Aged 18 to 24: 7.7%
Aged 25 to 34: 16.4%
Aged 35 to 44: 33.9%
Aged 45 to 54: 63.0%
Aged 55 to 64: 88.4%
Aged 65-plus: 99.1%

People lose their father before their mother, according to the analysis. Most 45-to-54-year-olds have lost Dad, while only one-third of the age group has lost Mom. Among 55-to-64-year-olds, the 54 percent majority has lost both parents. Among people aged 65 or older, a nearly universal 91 percent has lost both parents.

The age at which people lose a parent differs by socioeconomic factors. The higher the income and education, the smaller the percentage who have lost a parent in every age group until 65-plus, when nearly everyone has experienced the loss. By race and Hispanic origin, Blacks experience the loss of a parent at an earlier age than other race and Hispanic origin groups. Among 25-to-34-year-olds, for example, one in four Blacks has experienced the death of a parent. The figure is 15 percent among non-Hispanic Whites and Asians and 17 percent among Hispanics.

Because parents potentially provide their children with financial, emotional, and practical support throughout life, the earlier loss of parents may lower their children's standard of living. "Ostensibly, individuals with lower income, lower educational attainment, and those from communities that experience lower life expectancy would benefit most from parental support. However, our findings indicate that these same groups are the ones that experience parental loss earlier in life," the researchers conclude.

Source: Census Bureau, The Link Between Socioeconomic Factors and Parental Mortality