Elderly population surging in New Zealand

New Zealand's elderly aged 65 and over is projected to make up almost a quarter of the total population in another three decades, the government statistics agency said Tuesday.

The age group was up from 9.9 percent of the population in 1981 to 14.3 percent in 2012, and was projected to grow to 23.8 percent in another 30 years, according to Statistics New Zealand.

People aged 85 and over were making up a growing proportion of the 65-plus group, rising from 10.8 percent in 2001 to 12.1 percent in 2013 and they were projected to be 19.7 percent by 2043.

"We've seen a very noticeable shift since the 1981 Census. The proportion of over-65s is steadily increasing, and is expected to continue growing, especially in the over-85s bracket," census customer focus manager Gareth Meech said in a statement.

More than a quarter -- 27.5 percent -- of the 65-plus age group were born overseas, and one in three of these has been in New Zealand for 50 years or more.

"People aged 65 and over are working for longer. In 2013, 22.1 percent of the age group were employed, which is up from 11.4 percent in 2001," Meech said.

Almost 65 percent of people aged 65-plus said they lived in a household with access to the Internet in 2013, but by the age of 75 years and over, the proportion fell to 49.1 percent. Endi