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 May 13, 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

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Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Nov 2026
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.

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

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).

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

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.

03 · 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

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.

04 · Category

Care Demand1 stats

01
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)
Interpretation

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.

05 · 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

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.

More related reading

06 · Category

Cost Analysis2 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)
Interpretation

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.

07 · 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

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.

09 · Category

Care Delivery1 stats

01
In the UK, the number of people aged 65 and over living in care homes was 470,000 in 2022
Interpretation

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.

10 · Category

Demographic Share2 stats

01
France had 6.6 million people aged 80+ in 2022
02
In China, there were 26.1 million residents aged 65+ in 2022 (China Statistical Yearbook data)
Interpretation

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.
Reference

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.

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)