The Ambition to Age Well—and Why It Matters Now

Around the world, the gap between how long we live and how well we live is widening, with real consequences for individuals, families, and economies alike. But while science keeps unlocking new ways to extend lifespans and increase vitality, most people don’t start thinking about healthy aging until much later in life. 

BCG’s new Global Study on Longevity, conducted for the St. Moritz Longevity Forum—and based on responses from more than 9,000 people across 19 countries—confirms that that while nearly everyone aspires to a long, healthy life, few take consistent action to make it happen. It’s a universal paradox: we all value longevity, yet most of us delay acting on it. 

For companies, governments, and health systems, this gap between ambition and action represents more than a public health issue. It’s an opportunity to add trillions of dollars in economic value by building more integrated, human-centered models of care that can help people remain active, productive, and independent longer. 

Longevity Is Built on Health Ambitions 

Healthy aging isn’t about adding years; it’s about adding meaning to those years. People define longevity in deeply personal ways: having the energy to travel, the strength to play with grandchildren, the creativity to keep learning, or the independence to live life on their own terms. 

Yet most health systems and wellness programs focus on averages, not individuals. They prescribe checklists—eat better, move more, sleep well—without tapping into the emotional motivations that make those behaviors stick. 

This is where the longevity paradox takes shape. Our ambitions are universal, but our paths are personal. Unlocking progress means personalizing longevity around what people truly value.   

The Five-Step Ladder of Longevity Engagement 

Only about 12% of people fully orient their lives around healthy aging. The rest fall somewhere along a ladder of engagement, with each rung revealing a distinct set of motivations and challenges—as well as opportunities for health system stakeholders to offer support: 

• Longevity Dismissers (18%): Young, healthy, and confident, they see longevity as something for later in life, or for someone else. They don’t reject healthy habits outright, but they don’t feel urgency to adopt them. The opportunity? Make longevity relevant earlier by connecting it to goals like energy, purpose, and performance—not aging itself. 

• Longevity Curious (21%): Intrigued by the idea of healthy aging but unsure where to start, they try simple interventions like intermittent fasting or wellness apps. Without trusted guidance, though, enthusiasm fades fast. The opportunity? Create clear, credible, and motivating entry points that build confidence from the first interaction. 

• Proactive Experimenters (29%): Actively testing new routines—from fitness trackers to supplements—they’re engaged but overwhelmed by conflicting advice. The opportunity? Help them filter the noise through curated content, tailored recommendations, or measurable progress tracking that keeps motivation high. 

• Personalized Optimizers (21%): Intentional and informed, they often work with professionals or use personalized diagnostics to manage health. Yet they face rising costs, fragmented data, and too many disconnected options. The opportunity? Integrate and simplify—bridging services, care, and technology into cohesive ecosystems. 

• Holistic Pioneers (12%): Fully invested and tech forward, they rely on wearables, lab tests, and AI tools to optimize well-being. But even they can face complexity and access barriers. The opportunity? Scale what works for them—making advanced longevity care more approachable and equitable for others. 

People’s paths to longevity aren’t linear. The key is meeting them at their current stage—and using personalization, technology, and trust to help them climb higher.   

A New Era of Personalized Care 

A new wave of AI-powered health tools is bringing this vision to life. These digital companions can help people turn ambition into daily action—analyzing data, offering next-best steps, and providing feedback that feels supportive rather than clinical. 

80% of respondents said they would share personal data for a more tailored health experience—if they believe their data was being handled responsibly.   

But personalization only works when people trust it. BCG’s research shows that 80% of individuals would share personal data for a more tailored health experience—if they believe it’s handled responsibly. For leaders across sectors, this means building transparency and inclusion into every layer of design. 

The future of longevity care will depend on this balance: pairing intelligent systems with human understanding to help people stay well longer, in ways that feel empowering and personal.   

The Path Forward 

Longevity is no longer a niche market; it’s a growing ecosystem of informed, motivated individuals striving not just to live longer, but to live better. 

As advances in AI, personalization, medical treatments, and accumulated learning create new breakthroughs, the challenge for companies, governments, and stakeholders across health care systems is to how to scale healthy aging and build systems that support it. Doing so will require a combination of technology, human-centered design, and empathy—and the ability to meet people where they are. 

More of our top reads on customer insights:  

• The Longevity Paradox: Why We Don’t Plan for Healthy Aging Before It’s Too Late 

• Become the CEO of Your Health and Longevity 

• Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI 

• The Future of Consumer Intelligence: Put On Your Running Shoes 

• The Business of Healthy Aging: Applying CX and Behavioral Design to Close the Healthspan Gap