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18 Feb 2008 : Column 250W—continued

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number and proportion of pensioners who will be living (a) alone and (b) with a partner in each year until 2050. [185093]

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 February 2008:

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding estimates of the number and proportion of pensioners who will be living (a) alone and (b) with a partner in each year until 2050. (185093)

The following table shows the projected population of state pensionable age in England and Wales who are (i) single, widowed, divorced or separated, but not cohabiting and (ii) married or cohabiting. The figures come from the latest (2003-based) official marital status projections published in March 2005. These are only available for England and Wales and up to the year 2031. ONS plan to publish new marital status projections later in 2008. These will be consistent with the latest (2006-based) national projections by age and sex published in October 2007.

The projections in the tables allow for the raising of state pension age for women from age 60 to age 65 over the period 2010 to 2020 and also the subsequent increase in state pension age to 66 for both men and women during 2024-26.

18 Feb 2008 : Column 251W

18 Feb 2008 : Column 252W

Projected male population of state pensionable age, England and Wales, 2008 to 2031
Males	Total	Single, widowed, divorced or separated (not cohabiting)		Married or cohabiting
	million	million	percentage	million	percentage
2008	3.9	1.1	28	2.8	72
2009	4.0	1.1	28	2.8	72
2010	4.1	1.2	28	2.9	72
2011	4.2	1.2	29	3.0	71
2012	4.3	1.2	29	3.1	71
2013	4.5	1.3	29	3.2	71
2014	4.6	1.3	29	3.3	71
2015	4.7	1.4	29	3.3	71
2016	4.8	1.4	29	3.4	71
2017	4.8	1.4	29	3.4	71
2018	4.9	1.5	30	3.5	70
2019	5.0	1.5	30	3.5	70
2020	5.1	1.5	30	3.5	70
2021	5.2	1.6	31	3.6	69
2022	5.2	1.6	31	3.6	69
2023	5.3	1.7	31	3.7	69
2024	5.4	1.7	32	3.7	68
2025	5.3	1.7	32	3.6	68
2026	5.3	1.7	33	3.6	67
2027	5.4	1.8	33	3.6	67
2028	5.5	1.8	33	3.7	67
2029	5.6	1.9	33	3.7	67
2030	5.7	1.9	34	3.8	66
2031	5.9	2.0	34	3.9	66
Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. Source: 2003-based marital status projections, Government Actuary's Department

Projected female population of state pensionable age, England and Wales, 2008 to 2031
Females	Total	Single, widowed, divorced or separated (not cohabiting)		Married or cohabiting
	million	million	percentage	million	percentage
2008	6.6	3.2	48	3.4	52
2009	6.7	3.2	48	3.5	52
2010	6.8	3.2	48	3.5	52
2011	6.7	3.2	48	3.5	52
2012	6.6	3.2	48	3.4	52
2013	6.5	3.2	49	3.4	51
2014	6.5	3.2	49	3.3	51
2015	6.4	3.1	49	3.2	51
2016	6.3	3.1	50	3.2	50
2017	6.2	3.1	50	3.1	50
2018	6.2	3.1	50	3.1	50
2019	6.1	3.1	51	3.0	49
2020	6.1	3.1	51	3.0	49
2021	6.1	3.1	51	3.0	49
2022	6.2	3.2	51	3.1	49
2023	6.3	3.2	51	3.1	49
2024	6.4	3.3	51	3.1	49
2025	6.3	3.3	52	3.1	48
2026	6.3	3.3	52	3.0	48
2027	6.4	3.4	52	3.1	48
2028	6.6	3.4	52	3.1	48
2029	6.7	3.5	52	3.2	48
2030	6.8	3.6	52	3.3	48
2031	7.0	3.6	52	3.3	48
Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. Source: 2003-based marital status projections, Government Actuary's Department

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