Countries with the largest elderly population in the world

The world is aging rapidly, however, there are some countries, such as Japan and Italy, which stand out among the rest, due to the immense proportions of their citizens over 65 years of age. age.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly two billion people worldwide are expected to be over the age of 60 by 2050, a number that is more than triple what it was in 2000.

Because of such increases in their older populations, the largest economies have begun to face subsequent increases in their health care costs, higher pension costs, and a decreasing proportion of their respective citizens active in the work.

A major contributing factor to this trend is that fertility rates in these countries have been declining over the last few decades and longevity increasing.

To adapt to increasingly aging populations, many countries have raised retirement ages, reduced retirement benefits and started to spend more on elderly care.

With fewer people being born and people living much longer, people over 65 now make up a growing share of the world's total population.

aged nations

Japan is home to the world's oldest citizens, with 26.3% of the population aged 65 and over. In 2014, the percentage was around 25.8%, which shows that the number has been increasing every year. It is predicted that nearly a third of Japanese people (32.2%) will be elderly by 2030.

Next is Italy, with 22.4% of its population aged 65 and over. The most interesting thing is that, according to these numbers, the population between 0 and 14 years old has not grown since 1999, and remained at just 14% until recently.

Italy is known for having the highest public spending on pensions in the European Union. Pensions consume more than 16% of Italy's GDP, compared to 11% for the rest of the European Union.

Greece is next on this list, with 21.4% of its population over 65 years of age. The country is known for having the weakest pension system in the world, which has been hampered by a low retirement age, high sovereign debt and a high proportion of retirees.

Pension payments are a huge burden on the economy, given that nearly a quarter of the 11 million Greece's inhabitants are retired and the country's economic situation in recent years has been erratic at best. hypotheses.

Countries with the largest elderly population in the world

1. Japan – 26.3% of the population over 65 years old
2. Italy – 22.4% of the population over 65 years old
3. Greece – 21.4% of the population over 65 years old
4. Germany – 21.2% of the population over 65 years old
5. Portugal – 20.8% of the population over 65 years old
6. Finland – 20.5% of the population over 65 years old
7. Bulgaria – 20.0% of the population over 65 years old
8. Sweden – 19.9% ​​of the population over 65 years old
9. Latvia – 19.4% of the population over 65 years old
10. Malta – 19.2% of the population over 65 years old
11. France – 19.1% of the population over 65 years old
12. Denmark – 19.0% of the population over 65 years old
13. Croatia – 18.9% of the population over 65 years old
14. Estonia – 18.8% of the population over 65 years old
15. Lithuania – 18.8% of the population over 65 years old
16. Spain – 18.8% of the population over 65 years old
17. Austria – 18.8% of the population over 65 years old
18. Belgium – 18.2% of the population over 65 years old
19. Netherlands – 18.2% of the population over 65 years old
20. Czech Republic – 18.1% of the population over 65 years old