Six-Chart Sunday (#18): Old Guys Rule
6 Infographics from the week + 1 interview (Dmitri Alperovitch: World on the Brink)
Upcoming live event: Steven Brill on “THE DEATH OF TRUTH”… Thursday 5/30 at 4pm ET, register here to join us.
World Leaders: The median age of current national leaders is 62, as of May 1, 2024. The largest share of leaders today (34%) are in their 60’s. Roughly a quarter (22%) are in their 50’s; 16% are in their 40’s; 19% are in their 70’s; and 5% are in their 80’s. (Pew)
U.S. Congress: The current class of lawmakers is one of the oldest in history, with an overall median age of 59. The median age of senators is 65, the highest on record. In the House, the median age has hovered between 57 and 58 for the past decade, higher than in any year before that period. (538 via WaPo)
C-Suite: “Incoming CEOs were notably older in 2023, with the average age of starting S&P 1500 CEOs reaching an all-time high of 56.2 years, more than a year older than the prior high. The jump is especially noteworthy in the S&P 500, where the average age dipped to 53.8 in 2022 and bounced back up to 56.4, continuing a longer-term trend of rising CEO age.” (Spencer Stuart & Crist/Kolder)
The Silver Screen: “In the past 20 years—and particularly the last 10 to 15—the average age of actors appearing toward the top of the bill in film & TV projects has risen significantly. Whereas the star, or the top two or three stars, of the typical movie or TV series released in the closing decades of the 20th century was typically in their late 30’s—several years older than the median age of the U.S. population at the time—today’s average actor age has reached the mid-40s and is steadily climbing toward 50.” (The Ringer)
Consumers: Americans age 65 & up accounted for 22% of spending last year, the highest share since records began in 1972 and up from 15% in 2010… Seniors’ high spending propensities reflect health, wealth and perhaps lingering psychological effects of the pandemic… also, Americans age 70 and older now hold nearly 26% of household wealth, the highest since records began. (WSJ)
Old Guys Rule More Strictly: “Countries that are less free tend to have older leaders. In countries that Freedom House classifies as ‘not free,’ the median age of the national leader is 68. That compares with 62 in countries that are classified as ‘partly free’ and 60 in countries classified as ‘free.’” (Pew)
VIDEO
Dmitri Alperovitch, founding CEO of cyber security firm CrowdStrike & leading geopolitical think tank Silverado Policy Accelerator, assesses America’s competition with China in his new book:
Interesting insights. For the Silver Screen, my guess is that the reason is that it is the same people, e.g. Tom Cruise. My guess is that the average movie watcher's age has also risen along with the average age of leading actors. Gen Z, etc. isn't as into movies. In the 90s it was one of the most entertaining forms of media, but now there is intense competition and other ways to enjoy entertainment.
So you’re saying there is still hope…