Ninth in a series of reports which compile and interpret statistical information of direct concern to life insurance executives, this report deals with senior citizens, defined as persons 65 years and over. Examined are social and economic characteristics. Trends in the older population's growth, morality, educational attainment, residence, living arrangements, labor force participation, health, and income are presented. Implications of the statistics for life insurance companies are raised. The report also provides a summary of the statistics. For example, the population 65 years and older grew twice as fast as the general U.S. population between 1960 and 1980. The ratio of older people to the whole population in 2030 could range from about 1 in 8 persons to slightly more than 1 in 5. Most elderly persons live in family households but the number of older women living alone almost doubled from 2.9 million in 1965 to 5.6 million in 1979. Central and Northeastern states had the highest proportions of older residents in 1980. In 2030, the ratio of older people to working-age people will be over twice as great as it was in 1950. One of the most significant trends among the older population over the past two decades has been the improvement in their financial well-being. Between 1959 and 1980, the median incomes of both older men and women rose at a greater pace than the income of men and women in the general population. (RM)