Sovereign and dependent territory rows of the World Bank “Population ages 65 and above (% of total population)” indicator (top 30 by most recent year). Values in percent, rounded to two decimals. Aggregates (region.id === “NA”) excluded. Based largely on UN World Population Prospects estimates.
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How to use this chart
Play/Pause starts and stops the year-by-year animation, the year slider jumps to any year, and the speed selector (0.5×, 1×, 2×) changes playback speed. Each year shows the top 12 entries out of the 30 held in the dataset.
About this ranking
About this metric. “Share of Population Ages 65 and Above by Country (Time Series)” reformats data published by the World Bank (indicator code SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS). Values are the share of the total population aged 65 or older, expressed in percent.
What to watch. Trace Japan’s single bar: under 6% and “young” in the 1960s, then a near-vertical climb past Italy and Germany to about 30%, with only tiny Monaco above it. South Korea’s take-off — projected to be even faster — is already visible lower down the frame.
Caveats. Very small countries and territories such as Monaco and Puerto Rico rank alongside large nations. Values derive largely from UN World Population Prospects estimates, so recent years and small populations include estimated or interpolated figures.
Trends in the data
Japan’s climb stands out even among these 30 countries. In 1960 it was at 5.74%, ranking 26th of 30 — fifth from the bottom, a “young country”. It turned sharply upward from the 1990s and passed Italy in 2003 to reach second. In 2024 it is at 29.78%, 5.19× its 1960 level, and its gain of 24.04 percentage points is the largest of the thirty. For more than twenty years since, the only place above Japan has been Monaco (36.17%), a city-state of fewer than 40,000 people.
Other countries moved just as fast. Hong Kong went from 2.73% in 1960 to 22.67% in 2024, 8.30×, climbing from 30th to 13th. Puerto Rico rose from 4.96% to 24.72%, 28th to 3rd, and Bosnia and Herzegovina from 3.47% to 22.23%, 29th to 15th. The three youngest places of 1960 have all joined the top group; in sheer speed of ageing they matched or exceeded Japan.
The 1960 leaders, conversely, are now at the bottom. Austria rose only 1.69×, from 12.22% to 20.61%, falling from 3rd to 28th; Belgium went from 4th to 29th, Sweden 5th to 26th, the Netherlands 15th to 30th and Denmark 10th to 24th. European countries that aged early rose gently thereafter, and immigration replenishing the younger population is one likely reason for that gentleness.
Overall the level rose while the spread did not. The 30-country average grew 2.5×, from 9.01% in 1960 to 22.92% in 2024, yet the gap between top and bottom went from 16.21 to 15.67 percentage points — essentially unchanged. Rather than everyone rising together, the ranks reshuffled dramatically while the width of the field held. Note that Monaco, with 40,000 people, and Japan, with 120 million, sit in the same table; in the smaller places a change of a few thousand people moves the ratio. Note too that the top-30 cut at 20.5% for 2024 excludes South Korea, famous for ageing fast — which does not mean it is not ageing.
Trivia quiz
What are societies with 65+ shares above 7%, 14%, and 21% commonly called?
An "aging society", an "aged society", and a "super-aged society" respectively. Japan crossed 7% in 1970, 14% in 1994, and 21% in 2007. (Source)
Roughly how many years did Japan take to double its 65+ share from 7% to 14%?
About 24 years (1970 to 1994) — far faster than France (~115 years) or Sweden (~85 years). (Source)
What is the name for the period when a high share of working-age people boosts economic growth?
The demographic dividend; as ageing raises the dependency burden, the window closes. (Source)
Source
World Bank — Population ages 65 and above, % of total (SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS)