Gitnux/Report 2026

Aging Population Statistics

Japan’s 28.7% aged 65+ share in 2023 sits alongside fast-growing care and health pressures, from OECD estimates that ageing could add 1.5 percentage points to health spending growth by 2060 to US home health aides projected to rise 22% by 2032. If you care about what an older society really means for budgets, staffing, and chronic disease burden, this page connects the demographic shift to the systems that have to absorb it.
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Aging Population Statistics
Emilia SantosWritten by Emilia Santos·Edited by Henrik Dahl·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Last verified Jul 10, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Jan 2027
Nearly 30% of Japan's population is now aged 65 or older. In the United States, the 65-plus cohort reached 58 million people. These demographic shifts are reshaping national budgets and healthcare systems worldwide.

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.

Related reading

01 · Category

Demographics7 stats

01
Japan had 28.7% of its population aged 65 years or over in 2023
02
The share of people aged 65+ in the European Union was 20.8% in 2021
03
In the United States, 58.0 million people were aged 65+ in 2023
04
In Canada, 18.9% of the population was aged 65+ in 2022
05
In India, 8.6% of the population was aged 60+ in 2022
06
1 in 6 people worldwide are aged 60 years or over (about 1.0 billion in 2019)
07
Global life expectancy at birth increased from 64.0 years in 2000 to 73.0 years in 2019
Interpretation

Demographics Interpretation

Across major regions, the demographic share of older adults is rising sharply, as shown by Japan where 28.7% of people are 65+ in 2023 and the world where about 1 in 6 people are 60+ worldwide in 2019.

02 · Category

Policy And Spending6 stats

01
OECD estimates that ageing will account for 1.5 percentage points of health spending growth by 2060 in some scenarios
02
The OECD estimates that public spending on health accounted for 7.8% of GDP on average in 2022 across OECD countries
03
In the US, Social Security benefits paid were $1.38 trillion in 2022
04
In Japan, social security spending accounted for 33.0% of GDP in 2022
05
In France, mandatory retirement pensions accounted for 12.6% of GDP in 2021
06
In France, health spending was 9.0% of GDP in 2022 (OECD/EU average comparable measure)
Interpretation

Policy And Spending Interpretation

As populations age, countries are already devoting large shares of their economies to public support and health, with OECD data showing health spending at 7.8% of GDP on average in 2022 and estimates that ageing could add 1.5 percentage points to health spending growth by 2060 in some scenarios, while specific programs are sizable such as the US paying $1.38 trillion in Social Security benefits in 2022 and Japan’s social security spending reaching 33.0% of GDP in 2022.

03 · Category

Health Outcomes5 stats

01
WHO: 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019
02
WHO: 10.0 million deaths were attributable to cancer in 2020 (aging-relevant disease burden)
03
WHO: dementia affects about 10% of people aged 65 years and older
04
Alzheimer’s Association: 10.6 million Americans aged 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (2024 estimate)
05
Lancet Commission report estimates global health spending for ageing-related chronic diseases reached $8.3 trillion in 2019
Interpretation

Health Outcomes Interpretation

Health outcomes for aging populations are already overwhelming, with 463 million adults living with diabetes in 2019 and dementia affecting about 10 percent of people aged 65 and older, alongside cancer deaths totaling 10.0 million in 2020.

More related reading

04 · Category

Market Size5 stats

01
Global assisted living market size is $159.6 billion in 2024 (Fortune Business Insights)
02
Global home health care market size is $194.5 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights)
03
Global telehealth market size was $55.6 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $286.7 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
04
Global remote patient monitoring market size is projected to reach $28.5 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
05
US senior care technology market size was $7.3 billion in 2023 (Grand View Research)
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

For the Market Size angle, the aging population is already creating major spending power, with the global assisted living market at $159.6 billion in 2024 and home health care at $194.5 billion in 2023, while telehealth is projected to surge from $55.6 billion in 2022 to $286.7 billion by 2030.

05 · Category

Care Workforce4 stats

01
In the US, registered nurse employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032
02
In the US, home health aides employment is projected to grow by 22% from 2022 to 2032
03
In the US, nursing assistants employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032
04
OECD 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
Interpretation

Care Workforce Interpretation

With demand for care rising alongside an aging population, US employment for home health aides is projected to jump 22% from 2022 to 2032, underscoring that the care workforce will need to expand far faster in in home support than in several other nursing roles.

06 · Category

Industry Overview8 stats

01
OECD: public long-term care expenditure reached about 1.5% of GDP on average across OECD countries in 2021 (share of GDP)
02
US Medicaid spending was $651 billion in 2022 (KFF data summary)
03
In the EU, there were 33.3 million hospitalizations among people aged 65+ in 2022 (Eurostat hospital data by age)
04
In Canada, the share of Canadians aged 65+ rose from 15.0% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2023 (Statistics Canada table, latest release)
05
France had 6.6 million people aged 80+ in 2022
06
In China, there were 26.1 million residents aged 65+ in 2022 (China Statistical Yearbook data)
07
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)
08
In the UK, the number of people aged 65 and over living in care homes was 470,000 in 2022
Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

Across the OECD and beyond, aging is already driving major spending and demand, with long-term care averaging about 1.5% of GDP in 2021 and rising hospital and elder care needs reflected in figures like the 33.3 million 65+ hospitalizations in the EU in 2022 and Canada’s 65+ share growing from 15.0% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2023.
report visual · Key figures

Aging is rising across populations

The share and scale of older age groups are increasing in multiple countries and regions, signaling accelerating demographic aging.

28.7%
Japan had 28.7% of its population aged 65 years or over in 2023
20.8%
The share of people aged 65+ in the European Union was 20.8% in 2021
15%
In Canada, the share of Canadians aged 65+ rose from 15.0% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2023 (Statistics Canada table, latest rel
80
In the EU, the number of people aged 80+ is expected to rise from 37 million (2016) to 60 million (2030) (European Commi
source-verifiedstat.go.jp · ec.europa.eu · www150.statcan.gc.ca2023
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

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.

Sources & references

35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

stat.go.jpec.europa.eucensus.govwww150.statcan.gc.capopulation.un.orgoecd.orgssa.govimf.orgwho.intourworldindata.orgbls.govstats.oecd.orgalz.orgthelancet.comoecd-ilibrary.orgkff.orgfortunebusinessinsights.comgrandviewresearch.comdigital.nhs.ukinsee.frstats.gov.cn

+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)