By 2030, the share of people living past 80 is set to surge across Europe, with projections rising from 37 million in 2016 to 60 million. In Japan, 28.7% of the population is already aged 65 and over, while in the US the 65 plus population reaches 58.0 million in 2023. Those shifts are not just demographic, they also reshape budgets, care systems, and the workforce.
Key Takeaways
- Japan had 28.7% of its population aged 65 years or over in 2023
- The share of people aged 65+ in the European Union was 20.8% in 2021
- In the United States, 58.0 million people were aged 65+ in 2023
- OECD estimates that ageing will account for 1.5 percentage points of health spending growth by 2060 in some scenarios
- The OECD estimates that public spending on health accounted for 7.8% of GDP on average in 2022 across OECD countries
- In the US, Social Security benefits paid were $1.38 trillion in 2022
- In the US, registered nurse employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032
- In the US, home health aides employment is projected to grow by 22% from 2022 to 2032
- In the US, nursing assistants employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032
- In the EU, the number of people aged 80+ is expected to rise from 37 million (2016) to 60 million (2030) (European Commission JRC projection used in policy docs)
- WHO: 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019
- WHO: 10.0 million deaths were attributable to cancer in 2020 (aging-relevant disease burden)
- WHO: dementia affects about 10% of people aged 65 years and older
- OECD: public long-term care expenditure reached about 1.5% of GDP on average across OECD countries in 2021 (share of GDP)
- US Medicaid spending was $651 billion in 2022 (KFF data summary)
With ageing accelerating worldwide, governments face rising health and care costs as 65 plus shares climb fast.
Demographics
1Japan had 28.7% of its population aged 65 years or over in 2023[1]
Single source
2The share of people aged 65+ in the European Union was 20.8% in 2021[2]
Single source
3In the United States, 58.0 million people were aged 65+ in 2023[3]
Verified
4In Canada, 18.9% of the population was aged 65+ in 2022[4]
Directional
5In India, 8.6% of the population was aged 60+ in 2022[5]
Single source
61 in 6 people worldwide are aged 60 years or over (about 1.0 billion in 2019)[6]
Single source
7Global life expectancy at birth increased from 64.0 years in 2000 to 73.0 years in 2019[7]
Single source
Demographics Interpretation
Demographics are shifting rapidly as older age groups grow worldwide, with 28.7% of Japan’s population aged 65+ in 2023 and about 1 in 6 people globally aged 60+ (around 1.0 billion in 2019).
Policy And Spending
1OECD estimates that ageing will account for 1.5 percentage points of health spending growth by 2060 in some scenarios[8]
Verified
2The OECD estimates that public spending on health accounted for 7.8% of GDP on average in 2022 across OECD countries[9]
Directional
3In the US, Social Security benefits paid were $1.38 trillion in 2022[10]
Verified
4In Japan, social security spending accounted for 33.0% of GDP in 2022[11]
Single source
5In France, mandatory retirement pensions accounted for 12.6% of GDP in 2021[12]
Verified
6In France, health spending was 9.0% of GDP in 2022 (OECD/EU average comparable measure)[13]
Directional
Policy And Spending Interpretation
Across OECD countries, ageing is projected to add 1.5 percentage points to health spending growth by 2060, and the already high public burden reflects this pressure with health spending at 7.8% of GDP in 2022 and social and pension commitments reaching 33.0% of GDP in Japan and 12.6% of GDP for France’s mandatory retirement pensions in 2021.
Care Workforce
1In the US, registered nurse employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032[14]
Verified
2In the US, home health aides employment is projected to grow by 22% from 2022 to 2032[15]
Directional
3In the US, nursing assistants employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032[16]
Single source
4OECD data show that the share of people aged 65+ in the labour force is projected to rise; the employment rate for older workers (55-64) in OECD is 66.0% in 2023[17]
Verified
Care Workforce Interpretation
As populations age, the care workforce demand is set to surge in the United States with home health aides projected to grow by 22% from 2022 to 2032, while OECD data also show older workers already participate at a 66.0% employment rate for ages 55 to 64 in 2023.
Care Demand
1In the EU, the number of people aged 80+ is expected to rise from 37 million (2016) to 60 million (2030) (European Commission JRC projection used in policy docs)[18]
Directional
Care Demand Interpretation
Care demand in the EU is set to surge as the population aged 80+ grows from 37 million in 2016 to 60 million by 2030.
Health Outcomes
1WHO: 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019[19]
Verified
2WHO: 10.0 million deaths were attributable to cancer in 2020 (aging-relevant disease burden)[20]
Verified
3WHO: dementia affects about 10% of people aged 65 years and older[21]
Verified
4Alzheimer’s Association: 10.6 million Americans aged 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (2024 estimate)[22]
Verified
5Lancet Commission report estimates global health spending for ageing-related chronic diseases reached $8.3 trillion in 2019[23]
Verified
Health Outcomes Interpretation
With WHO reporting 463 million adults living with diabetes and dementia affecting about 10% of people aged 65 and older, the health outcomes of aging are already dominated by large, escalating chronic disease burdens, highlighted further by 10.0 million cancer deaths in 2020 and Alzheimer’s reaching 10.6 million Americans aged 65 and up in 2024.
Cost Analysis
1OECD: public long-term care expenditure reached about 1.5% of GDP on average across OECD countries in 2021 (share of GDP)[24]
Verified
2US Medicaid spending was $651 billion in 2022 (KFF data summary)[25]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the Cost Analysis category, public long term care spending averaged about 1.5% of GDP across OECD countries in 2021 and the US Medicaid program alone spent $651 billion in 2022, showing how aging pressures are translating into large and persistent public costs.
Market Size
1Global assisted living market size is $159.6 billion in 2024 (Fortune Business Insights)[26]
Verified
2Global home health care market size is $194.5 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights)[27]
Directional
3Global telehealth market size was $55.6 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $286.7 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)[28]
Directional
4Global remote patient monitoring market size is projected to reach $28.5 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)[29]
Verified
5US senior care technology market size was $7.3 billion in 2023 (Grand View Research)[30]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
The market size evidence is growing quickly across aging care, with global home health care at $194.5 billion in 2023 and telehealth surging from $55.6 billion in 2022 to a projected $286.7 billion by 2030.
Industry Trends
1In the EU, there were 33.3 million hospitalizations among people aged 65+ in 2022 (Eurostat hospital data by age)[31]
Verified
2In Canada, the share of Canadians aged 65+ rose from 15.0% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2023 (Statistics Canada table, latest release)[32]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends angle, the EU recorded 33.3 million hospitalizations in 2022 among people aged 65 and over while Canada’s 65 plus share climbed from 15.0% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2023, underscoring fast-growing demand pressures on healthcare and related services.
Care Delivery
1In the UK, the number of people aged 65 and over living in care homes was 470,000 in 2022[33]
Directional
Care Delivery Interpretation
In 2022, the UK had 470,000 people aged 65 and over living in care homes, underscoring how quickly demand for care delivery resources is concentrated in residential settings.
Demographic Share
1France had 6.6 million people aged 80+ in 2022[34]
Directional
2In China, there were 26.1 million residents aged 65+ in 2022 (China Statistical Yearbook data)[35]
Directional
Demographic Share Interpretation
Under the demographic share lens, France’s 6.6 million people aged 80+ in 2022 signals a substantial very elderly presence, while China’s 26.1 million residents aged 65+ in 2022 shows an even larger older cohort that is likely to shape demographic composition increasingly.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Aging Population Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aging-population-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Aging Population Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/aging-population-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Aging Population Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/aging-population-statistics.
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- 28fortunebusinessinsights.com/telehealth-market-103198
- 29fortunebusinessinsights.com/remote-patient-monitoring-market-105763
- 30grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/senior-care-market
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