
The U.S. is in the 'Peak 65' era — a four-year window from 2024 to 2027 that will see a record-breaking surge of Americans reaching retirement age. Around 4.1 million Americans turned 65 in both 2024 and 2025; another 4.1 million will reach that milestone in 2026, and 4.1 million more in 2027.
While 65 isn’t the Social Security full retirement age for many people, it is when Medicare kicks in, which is why some choose it as their retirement age.