Executive Summary

This report, based on an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau Summary Tape Files 4 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), provides a profile of Latino elderly in Michigan. We find that:

• In 2000, nearly 1.2 million Michigan residents were aged 65 years and older, representing 12.3% of total population;

• About 4% of Latinos in Michigan were aged 65 years and older;

• Cubans in Michigan had the higher proportion of the older population than Mexicans and Puerto Ricans;

• The Latino median age was 24 years, lower than the median age of 35.6 years for the total population in Michigan;

• In 2000, the age-dependency ratio was 38.7 for Latinos, lower than 51.6 for the total population;

• Mexicans and Puerto Ricans had a higher child-dependency ratio than Cubans, reflecting greater differences in fertility rates;

• About 28% of older Latino lived with their spouses, nearly 12% were female-headed families, about 38% were male-headed families, and about 21% lived with a relative;

• In 2000, about 64% of older Latino males had not completed high school education, compared to 36% of older American males;

• About 61% of older Latinas had not completed high school education, compared to 35% of older American females;

• Older Cuban populations had higher educational attainment than older Mexican and Puerto Ricans;

• In 1999, Mexican elderly in Michigan had higher poverty rates than Puerto Ricans and Cubans; Cuban elderly had the lowest poverty rates of all Latino groups;

• In 2003, life expectancy at birth was 80.9 years for both sexes, with 83.7 years for Latinas and 77.9 years for Latino males.

Percentage Elderly

In 2000, nearly 1.2 million Michigan residents were aged 65 years and older, representing 12.3% of total population. In this age group, 57.8% were women. Among Latinos, 4% were aged 65 years and older (3.5% men v. 4.6% women). Cubans in Michigan had a higher proportion of the older population than Mexicans and Puerto Ricans; they represent almost 9% of the Cuban population (7.2% for men v. 10.6% for women). In comparison, almost 4% of Mexican-origin and Puerto Rican persons residing in Michigan were aged 65 years and older (see Fig. 1).

In 2000, the median age of the total population in Michigan was 35.6 years. The Latino population in Michigan was much younger, with a median age of 24 years. Among Latinos, Mexicans had the lowest median age (23.6 years) and Cubans the highest median age (35.9 years), according to Table 1. Table 1 also displays age-dependency ratios for the total population and Latino population in Michigan. In 2000, the age-dependency ratio for Michigan was 51.6. The burden of dependency on the population aged 15 to 64 years in Michigan was from both children and the elderly. The child-dependency ratio was 33.0 while the aged-dependency ratio was 18.6, respectively.

The Latino population overall had a lower age-dependency ratio (38.7), an almost similar child-dependency ratio (34.4), and a much lower aged-dependency ratio (4.3), when compared to the total population in Michigan. Among Latinos, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans had much higher child-dependency ratio (51.8 and 54.2 respectively), reflecting greater differences in fertility rates. In contrast, Cubans had a much lower child-dependency ratio (22.6) and a greater aged-dependency ratio (12.8) than other Latinos, reflecting lower fertility rates and greater proportion of the elderly among Cubans (see Table 1).

Living Arrangements

In 2000, 63% of older population in Michigan lived in family households, about 31% lived in non-family households, and 5% lived in group quarters. Amongst the older population who lived in family households, 36% lived with their spouses, 11% were female-headed households, nearly 45% were male-headed households, about 8% lived with a relative (parent or other relatives), and less than 1% were living with non-relatives (see Table 2).

Comparatively, nearly 72% of older Latino population lived in family households, one-fourth lived in non-family households, and 2% lived in group quarters. Of the older Latino population who lived in family households, 28% of them lived with their spouses, nearly 12% were female-headed households, about 38% were male-headed households, about 21% lived with a relative (parent or other relatives), and 1% lived with non-relatives. Among Latinos, older Mexicans in Michigan were more likely than older Puerto Ricans or older Cubans to live in family households and less likely to live in non-family households. Older Cubans were more likely than older Mexicans and older Puerto Ricans to live with their spouses. In contrast, older Puerto Ricans were more likely than older Cubans and Mexicans to live in male-headed households. Older Mexicans were more likely other older Latinos to live with their relatives (see Table 2).

Educational Attainment

Older Latinos have relatively lower levels of education when compared to the educational attainment of the elderly in the U.S. In 2000, about 64% of older Latino males had not completed high school education, compared to 36% of older American males. In comparison, about 61% of older Latina females had not completed high school education, compared to 35% of older American females. Nearly 16% of the Latino male population aged 65 years and older had completed high school, compared with about 30% of the male population 65 years and older in Michigan. Among females, about 24% of the older Latina female population had completed high school, compared with 39% of the female population 65 years and older in Michigan.

Nearly 10% of older Latino males in Michigan had a Bachelor’s degree or higher compared to about 17% of all older male population in Michigan in 2000. In comparison, about 6% of older Latinas had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to about 10% of all older Latinas in Michigan (see Table 3).

Significant differences in educational attainment levels in 2000 among older Latino population in Michigan also exist. The older Cuban population had higher educational attainment than older Mexicans and older Puerto Ricans. Older Mexicans had lower educational attainment than Puerto Ricans (see Table 3).

Poverty

The poverty rate in 1999 for the Latino male population aged 65 years and older was 11.2%, which was more than twice the percentage for the total older male population in Michigan in poverty (5.4%). Among female elderly (65 and older), 17.2% of older Latinas were in poverty, compared with 10% of all older Latinas in Michigan. Among the different Latino groups, the Mexican elderly had higher poverty rates than Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Cuban elderly had the lowest poverty rates of all Latino groups (see Table 4).

Life Expectancy

Table 5 presents life tables for Latinos in Michigan by sex for 2003. Life expectancy at birth during 2003 for Latinos represents the average number of years that a group of Latino infants would live if they were to experience throughout life the age-specific death rates prevailing in that year. In 2003, life expectancy at birth was 80.9 years for both sexes, 83.7 years for Latinas, and 77.9 years for Latino males. The 2003 life table compares the life expectancy at any age from birth to older age. The Michigan Latino population aged between 60-64 years is expected to live an average of 25 more years (23.1 years for Latino males and 26.7 years for Latinas). A person reaching 85 years of age could expect to live an additional 9.6 years on average (9.1 years for males and 9.9 years for females). More detailed life tables for Latinos are presented in the Appendix A.

Figure 2 displays the percent of Latinos surviving by age and sex in 2003. Overall, Latinas have the highest survival rate when compared to Latino males. Of the original hypothetical 100,000 infant Latinas, 99.1% survive to age 20, 90.2% survive to age 65, and 52.4% survive to age 85. In contrast, of the original 100,000 infant males, 98.5% survive to age 20, 82.3% survive to age 65, and 36.1% survive to age 85 (Figure 2). The survival curve for Michigan Latinos is nearly flat until about the age 50 and then starts to decline thereafter, reflecting lower mortality at younger ages.

Conclusion

We have shown that 4% of all Latinos in Michigan are 65 years and older. Cubans have the highest proportion of the elderly population in Michigan, when compared to Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. Latino elderly population, particularly Latina elderly have lower levels of educational attainment that other older Americans. We have also demonstrated that poverty among the Latino elderly is higher than that experienced by older people in Michigan. We have also shown that more improvements in lowering mortality among Michigan’s Latino elder population are still needed.

Endnotes

1 The age-dependency ratio represents the ratio of the combined child population (under 15 years) and aged population (65 years and older) to the population of intermediate age (15 to 64 years).
2 The child dependency ratio represents the ratio of the child population (under 15 years) to the population of intermediate age (15 to 64 years).
3 The aged-dependency ratio represents the ratio of the aged population (65 years and older) to the population of intermediate age (15 to 64 years).
4 The aged-child ratio represents the ratio of the number of elderly persons (65 years and older) to the number of children (under 15 years).
5 Percentages for all family households were computed in reference to the total number of all family households. Other percentages were computed based on the total number of households in Michigan (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 STF4).
6 This refers to the total population for whom poverty is determined.

About the Authors

Jean Kayitsinga

Dr. Jean Kayitsinga is a sociologist demographer for JSRI and Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling Educational Psychology and Special Education, Measurement and Quantitative Methods (MQM) program at MSU, where he received his Ph.D. in sociology in 1999. His areas of specialization include rural sociology, sociology of families, demography, research methods and statistical methodologies.

Lori Post

Dr. Lori Post is Assistant Dean for Research in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. She is a trained as a demographer and her research focus is violence prevention.

Francisco Villarruel

Dr. Francisco A. Villarruel, a University Outreach Fellow and a Professor of Family and Child Ecology at MSU, is the Acting Director of MSU’s Latino research center— the Julian Samora Research Institute. His research focus is generalized into three areas: Latino youth and families, positive youth development, and developmental contextualism. He is also the chair of the National Hispanic Education Alliance (NAHE).