This contribution aims to convey a general overview of the living conditions of aging and old people in Germany. It introduces a series of contributions devoted to the topic "health in old age" and focuses on older people as a very heterogeneous group in society. Who exactly are these older people? We start by discussing the definition of "old age" as a stage of life and the distinction between a "third" and "fourth" age. This is followed by a presentation of some facts describing demographic change at the population level. The main body of the contribution looks at households and housing, family relations and social integration, income, life satisfaction and the health of older people. The two waves of the German Aging Survey, a representative study of persons in the second half of life undertaken in 1996 and 2000, provide the empirical base for the paper.