It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years … We've all heard that before, but what does that really mean in practice? And could we really have the best of both worlds by living longer and actually still feeling good? Well, consumers are beginning to see this as something that can be actively influenced.
Longevity has evolved into one of the fastest-growing movements, becoming a $33 trillion economic market in which physical and cognitive decline is increasingly viewed as optional across healthcare, beauty and wellness, hospitality, technology, architecture, and even entertainment.
According to Superaging, a global report from Havas Health Network, the health and wellness communications company, 83% of consumers say they actively plan for a longer life in at least one way, rising to 95% among prosumers, a group of influential early adaptors whose attitudes often indicate broader trends.
"The Superaging Era represents a cultural and economic shift as big as AI," Eric Weisberg, Global Chief Creative Officer of Havas Health Network, said in a statement. "As people take a more active role in how they age, longevity is moving beyond healthcare to influence the products they buy, the places they live, the experiences they seek, and the brands they choose. Every industry will need to rethink how it helps people live better, longer."
Consumers are separating their age from how they feel. Havas found that 73% of prosumers say they feel younger than their actual age, while 65% of boomers report feeling younger than they are, surpassing even Gen Z.
There has been a cultural shift in viewing longevity in terms of preserving vitality throughout the years, with preventative and optimization behaviors becoming appealing to younger generations, too. Longevity is thus transforming into a mode of identity management.
The future of health technology is focused on predicting decline before symptoms even appear. AI-powered diagnostics, biomarker monitoring, personalized health optimization programs, and wearable devices are becoming central to this. In fact, US consumers will spend $60 billion on gyms and fitness clubs in 2026 that feature advanced offerings like these—along with AI coaching, recovery amenities, and increasingly personalized health data.
Yet Havas suggests that, for brands, the opportunity lies in reducing consumer anxiety by translating increasingly complex health information into language consumers can actually understand and use.
Although longevity science is still in its early stages, Havas found that prosumers are significantly more willing than mainstream consumers to experiment with innovations such as cellular reprogramming, gene therapies, and regenerative medicine. Yet participation in the longevity movement isn't determined solely by access to new technologies; it also depends on consumers feeling informed enough to navigate them.
Despite growing interest in innovations in longevity science, they remain viable only for the affluent, as affordability and accessibility issues persist. Research is also expensive and fragmented, giving brands an opportunity to simplify health information and reassure consumers.
Havas found that the majority of consumers learn about longevity through culture rather than medicine. Calling it “welltainment,” where wellness, education, and entertainment converge, Havas suggests that podcasts, documentaries, streaming platforms, and social media often discuss longevity science in a more accessible and culturally relevant way, using a digestible tone that audiences sometimes do not even realize is about longevity.
But what does that look like? It can take the form of older characters portrayed as active and ambitious protagonists or models over 50 walking the runway or appearing on the covers of magazines, for example, as exposure to these types of media redefines the narrative of what it means to age.
While there is still a large stigma around aging, especially for women, Havas suggests that consumers increasingly believe that chronological age is influenced by mindset and lifestyle just as much as biology. This signals a shift in favor of healthy aging over anti-aging sentiments.
The environments people inhabit are being recognized as just as important in determining longevity with AgeTech, robotics, smart homes, and walkable communities.
Technology is being designed to allow older consumers to remain independent through ambient intelligence, robotics, and AI-powered home technologies that help manage everyday tasks. At the same time, next-generation homes are incorporating features such as circadian lighting, advanced air filtration, biophilic design, and flexible layouts.
Havas' report also suggests that intergenerational housing and longevity-focused communities have transformed retirement models by integrating healthcare, green spaces, and public transportation to encourage aging populations to remain connected and healthy.
For brands, this means there is a growing demand for products and spaces that make it easier to live healthier, more independent lives over time.
The ethics of the longevity movement raise questions about who actually benefits, as access to innovations and amenities remains unequal, signaling that longevity can become a marker of wealth and privilege.
As health becomes more data driven, issues surrounding privacy, algorithmic bias, digital literacy, and access to technology continue to emerge. Also, those with greater financial resources are better able to afford advanced diagnostics and understand increasingly complex health information.
Even consumers who engage with longevity recognize the need for greater equity. As Havas notes, the industry is moving away from anti-aging messaging, giving brands an opportunity to make these innovations more inclusive through language, education, accessibility, and design.