The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector has always been laser-focused on consumer behavior. In recent years, the CPG has used an increasing number of variables to help them personalize marketing. One of those variables is the demographic make-up of consumers. As journalist Augustus Bambridge-Sutton observes, “As the population changes, food will have to reshape itself around the needs and preferences of its demographics.”[1] Although the CPG sector pays close attention to the demographic groups most active economically (i.e., those of working age), older generations are now moving into the spotlight as well. Why? As Bambridge-Sutton reports, “Demographics are changing. Birth rates are declining in much of the world, with more and more people deciding to have fewer, or even no, children. And this comes hand in hand with populations getting older. According to the UN, one is six people will be over 65 by 2050.”

According to Tom Rees, Global Insight Manager for Food and Staples at Euromonitor International, “As a food producer, you have got to recognize who your target audience is, who’s got the money, and why they’re going to spend it.”[2] That might be stating the obvious; however, aging populations are about to receive an unprecedented amount of attention.

The Aging of America

Historically, America has been a young country whose population has been buoyed by a healthy birthrate and robust immigration. Neither of those factors are currently in play. As a result, America, like much of the developed world, is aging rapidly. Journalists Jeff Adelson and Sabrina Tavernise report, “The United States population grew last year at one of the slowest rates in its history, according to new numbers released by the Census Bureau. The immigration numbers plunged by more than 50 percent from the previous year, under the aggressive anti-immigration policies of President Trump. And the birthrate continued its nearly two-decade long decline.”[3]

Kenneth Johnson, a demographer at the University of New Hampshire, told Adelson and Tavernise, “What has been carrying the United States through this decade has been immigration. My question is, what will happen to the population if we go to negative immigration?” Journalists Lydia DePillis and Campbell Robertson partially answer that question. They write, “Immigration has woven itself so tightly through the country’s fabric — in classrooms and hospital wards, city parks and concert halls, corporate boardrooms and factory floors — that walling off the country now will profoundly alter daily life for millions of Americans.”[4]

The Trump administration is hoping to spur an increase in America’s birthrate to help keep the country young. Journalist Rachel Wolfe reports that’s unlikely. She explains, “Americans aren’t just waiting longer to have kids and having fewer once they start — they’re less likely to have any at all. The shift means that childlessness may be emerging as the main driver of the country’s record-low birthrate.”[6] Journalists at the Economist observe, “The phenomenon is hardly unique to America. The populations of many other rich countries are growing even more slowly or shrinking. So are those of many developing countries. That of China, America’s biggest geopolitical rival, shrank in 2023 for the second year in a row. Its fertility rate has tumbled to just 1.15 children per woman. Russia’s population is smaller than it was in 1991. America’s demographic problems are much smaller than those of its peers. Yet there are reasons to worry that America will adapt to slow growth even less readily than other countries.”[7]

As people age, their healthcare needs increase and their shopping behaviors change. The impact of an aging populations is already being felt. Last year’s job data showed many of the new job openings were in the healthcare field. Journalist Catherine Baab reports, “Demographic changes help explain rising demand for health care. Almost 20% of the U.S. population is 65 and older, while the oldest members of the massive Baby Boom generation are turning 80 years old in 2026. With birth rates and immigration falling, the median age in the U.S. now falls around 39 to 40 years old, up from 30 in 1980 and 35 in 2000.”[5] CPG executives understand that older consumers have money as well as different needs and tastes than younger generations.

What This Means for the CPG Sector

Bambridge-Sutton observes, “With the population shifting towards older consumers, food companies must understand the wants, needs, and preferences of these consumers more than ever. They are, after all, an increasingly larger proportion of the population. Nutrition for older adults is becoming less of niche as they make up a greater part of the overall population.” He adds, “One example is functional foods, such as those high in protein.” Even in the case of functional foods, demographics matter. Journalist Timothy Inklebarger reports that older generations and younger generations are looking for different results from health-oriented foods.

Inklebarger reports, “The well-being movement is expanding, with consumers seeking more personalized health benefits from their purchases, and while the trend spans generational demographics, age matters when it comes achieving their goals, according to data analytics firm Circana.”[8] He adds, “For Gen Z and Millennials, that entails focusing on convenience, flexibility, sustainability and digital-first habits, while supporting energy, productivity, and work-life balance. Gen X and Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are more focused on products that emphasize simplicity, reliability, preventative care, and autonomy.”

While eating healthy will remain a priority, product price also becomes an important issue for some older adults living on fixed incomes. To help CPG companies keep pace with changes in consumer behavior, Enterra Solutions® created the Enterra Consumer Insights Intelligence System™. This System allows clients to quantitatively uncover and logically understand the inter-relationships that lead to heightened consumer understanding, hyper-personalized product recommendations, and new product innovation. Jodie Shaw, Head of Global Marketing at Kadence International, observes, “For decades, older consumers have been cast in a supporting role: brand loyal, budget-conscious, and resistant to change. The stereotype of the frugal retiree — committed to saving, disinterested in trends — has shaped how marketers target, serve, and sometimes overlook the over-65 segment. But the demographic reality has changed, and so have the consumers within it. Today’s seniors are living longer, staying active, and spending more.”[10]

Concluding Thoughts

It’s not clear how America is going to cope with an aging population. What is becoming clearer, however, is that older adults are becoming much more health conscience as the challenges of aging confront them. And part of their focus is eating healthier foods. Walmart, America’s largest grocer, has responded with new food section it calls “Better for You Superfood.”[9] Food journalist Kim Severson writes, “Whether the new wave of interest in healthier food, fewer additives and nutrition supplements actually make America healthy again remains to be seen, but one thing is becoming clear: It can sure help sales.”[11] And there are sales to be made, Shaw explains, “For decades, brands have treated older consumers as the end point of a lifecycle — an audience to retain, not one to build around. That logic no longer holds. Seniors are not only outliving the systems built to serve them — they are outspending, outpacing, and, increasingly, out-influencing expectations.”

Footnotes

[1] Augustus Bambridge-Sutton, “Food makers must listen to ageing populations - or be left behind,” Food Navigator Europe, 9 February 2026.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Jeff Adelson and Sabrina Tavernise, “U.S. Population Growth Slows Sharply as Immigration Numbers Plunge,” The New York Times, 27 January 2026.

[4] Lydia DePillis and Campbell Robertson, “What America Might Look Like With Zero Immigration,” The New York Times, 28 December 2025.

[5] Catherine Baab, “‘The rest of the economy is shrinking’: Experts worry health care jobs are the only source of growth,” Quartz, 12 February 2026.

[6] Rachel Wolfe, “Why Americans Aren’t Having Babies,” The Wall Street Journal, 20 July 2024.

[7] Staff, “America is uniquely ill-suited to handle a falling population,” The Economist, 18 April 2024.

[8] Timothy Inklebarger, “Boomers vs Gen Z: Both want functional foods, but results vary by generation,” Food Navigator USA, 8 October 2025.

[9] Kim Severson, “There’s Money to Be Made From ‘MAHA.’ Food Companies Want In.” The New York Time 14 August 2025.

[10] Jodie Shaw, “The Spending Power of Seniors Is Reshaping Global Consumption.” Kadence International Knowledge, 2025.

[11] Severson, op. cit.