Pew's Population Pyramid GIF Is The Fastest Way To Understand America's Changing Demographics

Here's a cool GIF from Pew that shows how America's population has been evolving since 1950, and will continue to evolve until 2060.

It highlights baby-boomers in dark brown. It turns out they're going to serve as a giant senescent crown on top of the rest of American demography.

"[F]rom 1960 to 2060, our pyramid will turn into a rectangle," writes Paul Taylor, the executive vice president of special projects at the Pew Research Center.

"We'll have almost as many Americans over age 85 as under age 5. This is the result of longer life spans and lower birthrates. It's uncharted territory, not just for us, but for all of humanity. And while it's certainly good news over the long haul for the sustainability of the earth's resources, it will create political and economic stress in the shorter term, as smaller cohorts of working age adults will be hard-pressed to finance the retirements of larger cohorts of older ones."

Check it out: