Senior Citizens Outnumber Young Children for the First Time Globally

According to a report by the US Census, for the first time in human history, there are now more individuals aged 65 and older than children aged 5 and under worldwide. By 2025, senior citizens will make up 10.5% of the global population, surpassing the percentage of young children at some point in the preceding five years. This demographic shift occurred earlier than expected due to declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. The US ranks as the 48th oldest country, with 18.9% of its population aged 65 or older, a figure projected to rise to 23.4% by 2060. However, due to faster aging in other nations, the US's ranking is expected to drop to 110th by that time. Currently, 71% of the global population resides in countries with fertility rates at or below the replacement level of approximately 2.1 births per woman, an increase from 43% in 2013. Major populous countries such as China, India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Vietnam have all reported below replacement-level birth rates. The population aged 65 and over is expected to grow from 852 million in 2025 to 2 billion by 2060, accounting for 55% of all net global population growth during this period. The overall world population is projected to rise from 8.13 billion to 10.23 billion by 2060, meaning one in five people will be over 65. This significant increase in senior citizens may place considerable strain on welfare systems, as a decreasing working-age population will need to support a growing number of retirees. While this issue has primarily been associated with North America and Europe, the demographic changes will be more pronounced in developing regions. The population of those aged 65 and older is projected to increase by 134.7% from 2025 to 2060. In Africa, the senior population is expected to grow by 315%, from 60 million to 249 million, surpassing Europe’s projected 214 million by 2060. Latin America and the Caribbean will see a 158% increase, while Asia will experience the largest numerical rise, with its population aged 65 and over forecast to increase from 487 million in 2025 to 1.24 billion by 2060.