The German population continues to age. A report by the Federal Statistics Office has revealed that at the end of 2002, 20.1 million of Germany's 82.5 million people, or 24.4 percent, were above the age of sixty. Ten years ago, one fifth of the population (20.3 percent) had reached that age. The trend shows no signs of slowing. In 2030, according to demographers, the over-sixty group will comprise some 27.9 million people or 34.4 percent of the total population. Twenty years later, in 2050, 27.6 million people, or 36.7 percent, will be over sixty. The ageing of the population has serious consequences for Germany's already overburdened health and pension systems, as older people require more medical care and fewer Germans of working age will be supporting increasing numbers of retirees on pensions. The statistics office also found that more and more of Germany's senior citizens are deciding to go back to school after they retire. The number of over-sixty guest students visiting German university classes has risen 164 percent since 1992.