UK – Yonder Data Solutions is proud to announce the launch of new age quotas designed to improve inclusivity and representation of the 65+ demographic in market research. This move comes in response to calls from the Market Research Society (MRS) and the MRS Representation in Research Committee urging the industry to recognise the growing importance of age diversity within this evolving population group.
With over 11 million people in the UK aged 65 and over, this demographic makes up a significant part of the population. However, market research has traditionally viewed individuals in the ‘65+’ category as a homogeneous group, overlooking the unique experiences, skills, attitudes, and behaviours across different generations within this age bracket. Yonder Data Solutions is taking proactive steps to address this gap by introducing two new distinct age bands – ‘65-74’ and ‘75+’ – ensuring a more nuanced and accurate representation of individuals within this population group.
“We’re delighted to announce that all our UK nationally representative samples will now include the following age bands: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+. These samples will be nationally representative of gender, age, region, social grade, and ethnicity”, says Chris Atkins, Managing Director of Yonder Data Solutions.
As part of this initiative, Yonder Data Solutions recently conducted research using its nationally representative online omnibus to explore the differences between the 65-74 and 75+ age groups. The study involved interviews with 1,961 adults aged 65 and over across four waves of fieldwork conducted between 30th August and 8th September 2024. The findings revealed significant distinctions between the two groups, highlighting the importance and necessity of these new quotas.
Key findings include:
- Financial comfort varies significantly: Over a quarter (27%) of those aged 65-74 reported having little to no money left over for extra spending, compared to just 18% of those aged 75+.
- Not all over 65s are retired: 18% of respondents aged 65-74 are still working, compared to just 4% of those aged 75+.
- Health challenges differ: More than a third (36%) of 75+ respondents have a longstanding physical or mental disability, compared to 31% of those aged 65-74.
- More mortgage-freedom for the over-75s: 86% of those aged 75+ are homeowners, with 83% owning their homes outright, compared to 80% and 75%, respectively for the 65-74 age group.
Chris Atkins added:
“In my 18 years in the industry, ‘65+’ has always been the top age quota. But with the UK’s aging population, it is becoming increasingly important for organisations and businesses to gain a deeper understanding of this group. The MRS has been instrumental in driving conversations around representation in research, and I’m proud that Yonder Data Solutions is setting a new standard for representativity and inclusivity with these new age quotas.
We also recognise that not all respondents over 65 are online, which is why we use our telephone (CATI) team to reach those who are digitally disengaged or excluded, ensuring that often unheard voices are represented in our research”.
This initiative builds on Yonder Data Solutions’ introduction of ethnicity quotas a number of years ago, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and representativity in research.
Jane Frost CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Market Research Society, commented:
“It doesn’t make any sense to group everyone over the age of 65 into a single category. By doing so, businesses will risk missing out on key commercial opportunities. A greater granularity of approach would undoubtedly benefit public policy as well. This age range covers people with so many different experiences, who are nowhere near homogeneous as Yonder Data Solutions’ work clearly shows. I welcome this response, which reflects MRS Guidance on the matter”.
About Yonder Data Solutions
Yonder Data Solutions is an award-winning survey and data collection agency, offering a comprehensive range of services, including online data collection, CATI, consumer and B2B omnibuses, survey programming and hosting, data processing, advanced analytics, and data science. The company also employs cutting-edge methodologies such as video feedback, biometrics, passive data collection, and AI.
Download our credentials on nationally representative samples for the new 65+ age quotas here.
Get in touch
To learn more about how Yonder Data Solutions is advancing inclusivity and representation in market research, or to discuss how the improved 65+ age quotas can enhance your market research needs, please get in touch here.
