Japan Leads World in Share of Residents Aged 65+
Global population data shows aging and youthful countries diverging sharply, with Japan at the older end of the spectrum.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Senior Health
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Our World in Data has published an analysis of population age distribution by country, drawing on UN World Population Prospects 2024 projections for 2025. Japan's internal affairs ministry reported that 29.6% of its population was aged 65 or older in September, a record.
Why it matters
The gap between countries with aging populations and those with young ones shapes healthcare demand, pension systems and labor supply across the world. Japan's shrinking population illustrates how these pressures are already arriving in wealthy economies.
The figures come from UN population projections for 2025, with Japan's 65-and-older share at a record 29.6% in September per its internal affairs ministry. Japan's population fell to 123.3 million in 2025 from 124.5 million in 2023, and the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research expects the older share to reach 36.3% by 2045.
The players
Our World in Data
An online research and data publication based at the University of Oxford that compiles long-run statistics on global development, population and health.
UN World Population Prospects
The United Nations' biennial demographic projections series that produces widely cited estimates of population size and age structure for every country.
National Institute of Population and Social Security Research
Japan's government research body that produces official population forecasts used to plan pensions and social services.
The details
Japan has the world's largest share of people aged 65 and over, while the Central African Republic has the largest share of children, with 49% of its roughly 5.5 million residents under 15. Central African Republic life expectancy was 57.7 years in 2024, compared with 84.0 years in Japan.
Timeline
2023: Japan's population stood at 124.5 million, per IMF data.
September 2025: Japan's 65-and-older share reached a record 29.6%.
2025: Japan's population fell to 123.3 million.
2045: Japan's 65-and-older share is projected to reach 36.3%.
Global Context
The UN World Population Prospects series shows one in ten people worldwide now reaching 65 or older, a share that Japan has already surpassed by a wide margin. The divergence between Japan and the Central African Republic illustrates the spread that the UN projections track across regions.
As populations age, demand for healthcare, long-term care and retirement support grows, shaping services people rely on across their lifetimes. Readers in countries with younger populations may see different pressures on schools and the workforce.
The takeaway
Population age structure is one of the most predictable forces shaping national health and economic planning. Tracking shifts in the share of older residents helps individuals and institutions prepare for changing care needs over the coming decades.
Further reading
Explore more on Senior Health to see how population aging affects care needs and wellbeing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Intellinews.
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