A new report from the government has revealed how British society has changed over the course of the Queen's reign, with pensioners now making up around a fifth of the population.

The Department for Work and Pensions has published new figures which shows that there are now 12.4 million pensioners living in the country, up from just 6.8 million in 1952.

Average life expectancy has also risen sharply over the last 60 years, with boys and girls born in 2012 expected to live to 91 and 94 respectively - a decade longer than their 1952 counterparts.

With people living longer, over-65s are now accounting for a larger proportion of the workforce. Around 350,000 women and 540,000 men aged 65 or over are in work today.