Countries With the Oldest Populations in the World

Date

March 23, 2020

Asia and Europe are home to some of the world’s oldest populations, those ages 65 and above. At the top is Japan at 28 percent, followed by Italy at 23 percent. Finland, Portugal, and Greece round out the top five at just under 22 percent.

Southern Europe, which includes such countries Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain, is the oldest region in the world with 21 percent of the population ages 65+.

Twelve percent of China’s population is age 65 or above. That share is 16 percent in the United States, 6 percent in India, and 3 percent in Nigeria.

Top 50 Countries With the Largest Number of Older Adults

wdt_ID	Rank	Country	# 65+ (in millions)	% 65+ (of total population)	# total population (in millions)
1	1	China	166.37	11.9	1398.03
2	2	India	84.9	6.1	1391.89
3	3	United States	52.76	16	329.15
4	4	Japan	35.58	28.2	126.18
5	5	Russian Federation	21.42	14.6	146.73
6	6	Brazil	17.79	8.5	209.33
7	7	Germany	17.78	21.4	83.1
8	8	Indonesia	15.16	5.6	268.42
9	9	Italy	13.76	22.8	60.34
10	10	France	13.16	20.3	64.83
11	11	United Kingdom	12.24	18.3	66.83
12	12	Pakistan	9.31	4.3	216.57
13	13	Mexico	9.17	7.2	126.58
14	14	Spain	8.99	19.1	47.07
15	15	Bangladesh	8.35	5.1	163.67
16	16	South Korea	7.83	15.1	51.85
17	17	Thailand	7.61	11.5	66.37
18	18	Turkey	7.27	8.8	82.61
19	19	Ukraine	6.94	16.5	42.04
20	20	Poland	6.72	17.5	38.4
21	21	Viet Nam	6.72	7	95.66
22	22	Canada	6.44	17.2	37.41
23	23	Philippines	5.51	5.1	108.12
24	24	Nigeria	5.43	2.7	200.96
25	25	Iran	5.12	6.1	83.91
26	26	Argentina	5.1	11.4	44.94
27	27	Colombia	4.63	11.4	44.94
28	28	Australia	4	15.8	25.31
29	29	Ethiopia	3.92	3.5	112.08
30	30	Egypt	3.86	3.9	99.06
31	31	Romania	3.52	18.2	19.36
32	32	South Africa	3.51	6	58.62
33	33	Taiwan	3.27	13.9	23.59
34	34	Netherlands	3.27	18.9	17.34
35	35	Myanmar	3.19	5.9	54.05
36	36	Algeria	2.67	6.2	43.41
37	37	Peru	2.66	8.4	31.78
38	38	Democratic Republic of the Congo	2.6	3	86.79
39	39	Morocco	2.53	7.1	35.59
40	40	North Korea	2.44	9.5	25.67
41	41	Greece	2.33	21.8	10.7
42	42	Chile	2.26	11.8	19.11
43	43	Portugal	2.24	21.8	10.27
44	44	Belgium	2.15	18.7	11.46
45	45	Malaysia	2.11	6.4	32.75
46	47	Sweden	2.05	19.9	10.29
47	48	Venezuala	1.95	6.8	28.52
48	49	Hungary	1.89	19.3	9.77
49	50	Sri Lanka	1.71	7.8	21.9

Sources: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects 2019, https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/, and Toshiko Kaneda, Charlotte Greenbaum, and Kaitlyn Patierno, 2019 World Population Data Sheet (Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, 2019).

Top 50 Countries With the Largest Percentage of Older Adults

Top 50 Countries With the Largest Percentage of Older Adults

wdt_ID	-	Country	% 65+*	Age 65-74	Age 75-84	Age 85 and over	65+ Pop. (in Millions)	Total (in Millions)
1	1	Japan	28.2	50	34	16	35.58	126.18
2	2	Italy	22.8	49	35	16	13.76	60.34
3	3	Finland	21.9	58	30	12	1.21	5.52
4	4	Portugal	21.8	51	35	14	2.24	10.27
5	5	Greece	21.8	48	35	17	2.33	10.70
6	6	Germany	21.4	47	39	14	17.78	83.10
7	7	Bulgaria	21.3	59	31	9	1.49	6.98
8	8	Croatia	20.4	54	34	12	0.83	4.05
9	9	France	20.3	54	29	17	13.16	64.83
10	10	Latvia	20.3	50	36	15	0.39	1.91
11	11	Serbia	20.2	--	--	--	1.40	6.94
12	12	Sweden	19.9	54	33	13	2.05	10.29
13	13	Lithuania	19.8	49	36	15	0.55	2.79
14	14	Estonia	19.8	50	36	13	0.26	1.33
15	15	Denmark	19.6	58	31	11	1.14	5.82
16	16	Czechia	19.6	61	29	10	2.09	10.67
17	17	Slovenia	19.6	54	33	13	0.41	2.09
18	18	Hungary	19.3	59	31	10	1.89	9.77
19	19	Malta	19.2	60	30	10	0.10	0.50
20	20	Spain	19.1	49	33	18	8.99	47.07
21	21	Netherlands	18.9	58	31	12	3.27	17.34
22	22	Austria	18.8	50	37	13	1.67	8.88
23	23	Belgium	18.7	53	32	15	2.15	11.46
24	24	United Kingdom	18.3	54	32	14	12.24	66.83
25	25	Switzerland	18.3	53	33	14	1.57	8.57
26	26	Romania	18.2	58	32	11	3.52	19.36
27	27	San Marino	18	--	--	--	0.01	0.03
28	28	Poland	17.5	60	28	12	6.72	38.40
29	29	Liechtenstein	17.5	--	--	--	0.01	0.04
30	30	Norway	17.2	50	30	13	0.92	5.34
31	31	Canada	17.2	58	29	13	6.44	37.41
32	32	Ukraine	16.5	57	34	9	6.94	42.04
33	33	Hong Kong, China	16.4	58	27	15	1.23	7.52
34	34	Bosnia-Herzegovina	16.1	61	32	7	0.56	3.49
35	35	Slovakia	16	62	29	9	0.87	5.45
36	36	United States	16	58	29	13	52.76	329.15
37	37	New Zealand	15.3	58	30	12	0.76	4.97
38	39	Barbados	15.3	56	30	14	0.04	0.29
39	40	Montenegro	15.2	61	30	9	0.09	0.62
40	41	South Korea	15.1	58	33	9	7.83	51.85
41	42	Belarus	15	56	33	11	1.42	9.47
42	43	Georgia	14.8	58	33	9	0.59	4.00
43	44	Russian Federation	14.6	59	31	10	21.42	146.73
44	45	Cuba	14.4	57	32	11	1.62	11.21
45	46	Andorra	14.4	--	--	--	0.01	0.08
46	47	Luxembourg	14.4	55	31	14	0.09	0.62
47	48	Iceland	14.2	58	29	13	0.05	0.36
48	49	Uruguay	14.2	52	32	16	0.50	3.52
49	50	North Macedonia	14.1	64	30	6	0.29	2.08

Which Countries Have the Largest Share of People Ages 75+? Ages 85+?

wdt_ID	Rank	Country	% 65+ (of total population)	# 65+ (in millions)	# total population (in millions)
1	1	Japan	28.2	3,558.0	12,618.0
2	2	Italy	22.8	1,376.0	6,034.0
3	3	Finland	21.9	121.0	552.0
4	4	Portugal	21.8	224.0	1,027.0
5	5	Greece	21.8	233.0	1,070.0
6	6	Germany	21.4	1,778.0	8,310.0
7	7	Bulgaria	21.3	149.0	698.0
8	8	Croatia	20.4	83.0	405.0
9	9	France	20.3	1,316.0	6,483.0
10	10	Latvia	20.3	39.0	191.0
11	11	Serbia	20.2	140.0	694.0
12	12	Sweden	19.9	205.0	1,029.0
13	13	Lithuania	19.8	55.0	279.0
14	14	Estonia	19.8	26.0	133.0
15	15	Denmark	19.6	114.0	582.0
16	16	Czech Republic	19.6	209.0	1,067.0
17	17	Slovenia	19.6	41.0	209.0
18	18	Hungary	19.3	189.0	977.0
19	19	Malta	19.2	10.0	50.0
20	20	Spain	19.1	899.0	4,707.0
21	21	Netherlands	18.9	327.0	1,734.0
22	22	Austria	18.8	167.0	888.0
23	23	Belgium	18.7	215.0	1,146.0
24	24	United Kingdom	18.3	1,224.0	6,683.0
25	25	Switzerland	18.3	157.0	857.0
26	26	Romania	18.2	352.0	1,936.0
27	27	San Marino	18.0	1.0	3.0
28	28	Poland	17.5	672.0	3,840.0
29	29	Liechtenstein	17.5	1.0	4.0
30	30	Norway	17.2	92.0	534.0
31	31	Canada	17.2	644.0	3,741.0
32	32	Ukraine	16.5	694.0	4,204.0
33	33	Hong Kong, China SAR	16.4	123.0	752.0
34	34	Bosnia-Herzegovina	16.1	56.0	349.0
35	35	Slovakia	16.0	87.0	545.0
36	36	United States	16.0	5,276.0	32,915.0
37	37	Australia	15.8	400.0	2,331.0
38	38	New Zealand	15.3	76.0	497.0
39	39	Barbados	15.3	4.0	29.0
40	40	Montenegro	15.2	9.0	62.0
41	41	South Korea	15.1	783.0	5,185.0
42	42	Belarus	15.0	142.0	947.0
43	43	Georgia	14.8	59.0	400.0
44	44	Russian Federation	14.6	2,142.0	14,673.0
45	45	Cuba	14.4	162.0	1,121.0
46	46	Andorra	14.4	1.0	8.0
47	47	Luxembourg	14.4	9.0	62.0
48	48	Iceland	14.2	5.0	36.0
49	49	Uruguay	14.2	50.0	352.0
50	50	North Macedonia	14.1	29.0	208.0

*Breakdown of 65+ population (totaling 100%) across three columns show the share of 65-74, 75-84, and 85+
Sources: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects 2019, https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/, and Toshiko Kaneda, Charlotte Greenbaum, and Kaitlyn Patierno, 2019 World Population Data Sheet (Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau, 2019).