Turning 62 may mark the point at which someone is considered “officially old”, at least according to younger generations.
A new survey of 4,000 people across the UK, conducted by the Age Without Limits campaign, explored how people from different generations perceive ageing — and the results reveal a clear divide.
While Baby Boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — believe old age begins at around 67, younger respondents from Generation Z place the milestone earlier, saying people become old at 62.
By that measure, several high-profile figures who are currently 62 — including Michelle Obama, Brad Pitt, and Lisa Kudrow — would already fall into what some respondents described as the “over the hill” category.
The polling also highlighted a number of assumptions younger people associate with getting older.
According to Gen Z respondents, people are believed to start experiencing cognitive decline at around 62, while difficulties with technology are expected to begin earlier, at 59.
Fashion perceptions also came into play, with respondents suggesting people stop looking good wearing the latest trends at around 56.
Researchers also found that many young adults hold fairly pessimistic views about their own future ageing.
Among Gen Z respondents aged 18–29, around one in five said they do not believe they will look good when they are older. A quarter said they do not expect to have many family members or friends around them in later life, while 27% said they doubt they will still be in good health when they are older.
The survey also found that younger people often associate ageing with having less fun or fewer opportunities in life.
Across all age groups surveyed, several common phrases were frequently used when referring to older people.
The most common description was “stuck in your ways,” followed by “mutton dressed as lamb.” Other widely used expressions included “you’re too old for that,” “dinosaur,” and “over the hill.”
Many younger respondents also believed that people over the age of 50 may struggle to keep up with new technology, although attitudes toward older workers were somewhat more positive.
In fact, Gen Z participants were more likely than Boomers to say that older employees would still be valuable hires in the workplace.
The Age Without Limits campaign — run by the Centre for Ageing Better — aims to raise awareness about the impact of ageism in everyday life, from the workplace to media and social attitudes.
Katherine Crawshaw, co-head of the campaign, said fears about getting older often start much earlier than people might expect.
“What we often see with beliefs around age and ageing is real concern about reaching a certain age from quite early on in our adult lives,” she said.
“But as people actually reach those milestones, many of those fears begin to fade. Constant exposure to ageist messaging can create an overly negative picture of what getting older will really be like.”
She added that such messages can appear surprisingly early in life.
“We’re even seeing children as young as ten wanting to buy anti-ageing make-up, which shows how deeply these attitudes can take hold.”
The campaign argues that challenging stereotypes about ageing is essential to creating a more positive and realistic view of later life.
