The average age of all fixed assets in the U.S. — including hospitals and medical devices — hit 22.8 years in 2015, the oldest number reported since 1925, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
This rise in the fixed asset age index stems from the unwillingness, or incapability, of companies and governments to spend money on updated equipment, facilities and products, reports Bloomberg.
Here are three things to know.
- In the past two years, the average age of medical equipment and tools reached 4.7 years — the oldest since 1945.
- Healthcare facility structures demonstrated an average age of 20.7 years, the highest figure since 1949, according to the report.
- The BEA pinpointed industrial equipment to be 10 years old, on average. In 2010 and 2011, the equipment was an average of 10.2 years old, the oldest age recorded since 1939.
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