Robust improvement in mortality rates and general health care means that more people are surviving until well into old age reducing the annual death rate by nealry 5% since the turn of the century.

The number of people receiving the state pension – 65+ for males and 60+ for females now accounts for 19% of the population against just under 19% for children under the age of 16.

Ironically the over-80s are the fastest growing age group accounting for over 5% of the population.. Chichester was named as having the highest concentration of pensionable age residents in England and Wales, with more than 32% while in Brighton & Hove our polulation is very young, unlike most coastal towns.