Global demographics are shifting as populations age. By 2050, dementia cases are projected to reach 139 million and global health spending could climb to $20 trillion. This article compiles key statistics on the scale and impact of this demographic transition.
Key Takeaways
- 771 million people aged 65+ worldwide in 2022, making up about 10% of the global population
- The UN projects that by 2100 the global population aged 65+ will reach about 2.5 billion (World Population Prospects 2022)
- In 2019, about 16% of people aged 60+ lived alone in many high-income countries (OECD Health at a Glance 2021, living alone by age)
- By 2030, the world is projected to have 82 million more adults aged 65+ than in 2020
- By 2050, the number of people with dementia is projected to grow to 139 million
- In 2022, global healthy life expectancy at birth was 63.1 years, declining with disability increases in older ages
- In 2019, the global age dependency ratio (population aged 65+/working-age 15–64) was 28.8
- Between 2010 and 2021, global long-term care demand increased due to aging, with the number of persons aged 80+ rising from 71 million to 132 million
- In 2019, 60% of global disease burden (DALYs) was attributable to noncommunicable diseases, which increase with age
- In 2022, there were 28.2 million cancer cases worldwide, with risk rising substantially with age
- In 2019, 14.9 million deaths were attributable to chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- In 2021, the global market for home care services was valued at $349 billion and is projected to grow
- In 2023, the global senior housing market was valued at $278.5 billion
- In 2023, the global medical device market size was $526.2 billion, with demand supported by aging populations
- In 2022, 28% of US adults aged 65+ had used patient portals
By 2100, the world’s 65 plus population will soar, reshaping health, long term care, and costs worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics4 stats
01
771 million people aged 65+ worldwide in 2022, making up about 10% of the global populationhttps://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/world-population-prospects-2022
02
The UN projects that by 2100 the global population aged 65+ will reach about 2.5 billion (World Population Prospects 2022)https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf
03
In 2019, about 16% of people aged 60+ lived alone in many high-income countries (OECD Health at a Glance 2021, living alone by age)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/ae3016f3-en.pdf?expires=1710000000&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=XXXX
04
In Japan, 29.1% of the population is aged 65+ (2023)https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/index.html
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
Demographically, the number of people aged 65+ is already 771 million worldwide in 2022 and the UN projects it will surge to about 2.5 billion by 2100, reshaping societies across countries such as Japan where 29.1% of the population is already 65+.
02 · Category
Future Projections5 stats
01
By 2030, the world is projected to have 82 million more adults aged 65+ than in 2020https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health/brief/ageing-and-health
02
By 2050, the number of people with dementia is projected to grow to 139 millionhttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30379-2/fulltext
03
In 2022, global healthy life expectancy at birth was 63.1 years, declining with disability increases in older ageshttps://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/WHOSIS_000001
04
By 2050, 80% of the world’s older people will live in low- and middle-income countrieshttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
05
By 2050, global health spending is projected to rise to $20 trillion (with aging as a key driver)https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO
Interpretation
Future Projections Interpretation
Under future projections for global aging, the world is set to see a major scale-up in the aging population with 82 million more adults aged 65+ by 2030, alongside a projected rise to 139 million people living with dementia by 2050 and 80% of older adults living in low and middle income countries, making the health and care challenge increasingly urgent.
03 · Category
Socioeconomic Impact2 stats
01
In 2019, the global age dependency ratio (population aged 65+/working-age 15–64) was 28.8https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2022
02
Between 2010 and 2021, global long-term care demand increased due to aging, with the number of persons aged 80+ rising from 71 million to 132 millionhttps://www.lancet.com/pb-assets/Lancet/stories/ageing.pdf
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Impact Interpretation
In 2019, the global age dependency ratio was 28.8, and as the share of older people surged with the number aged 80+ rising from 71 million to over 1 billion by 2021, the socioeconomic pressure from longer-term care needs has intensified sharply.
04 · Category
Health Burden4 stats
01
In 2019, 60% of global disease burden (DALYs) was attributable to noncommunicable diseases, which increase with agehttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
02
In 2022, there were 28.2 million cancer cases worldwide, with risk rising substantially with agehttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/2019-factsheets
03
In 2019, 14.9 million deaths were attributable to chronic kidney disease (CKD)https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-2019
04
In 2020, 1.6 million deaths were attributed to road injuries among adults aged 65+https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-2020
Interpretation
Health Burden Interpretation
As populations age, the health burden shifts toward age related conditions, with noncommunicable diseases accounting for 60% of global DALYs in 2019 and cancer cases rising to 28.2 million worldwide in 2022, alongside major chronic and injury impacts such as 14.9 million CKD deaths in 2019 and 1.6 million road injury deaths among adults aged 65+ in 2020.
05 · Category
Market Size17 stats
01
In 2021, the global market for home care services was valued at $349 billion and is projected to growhttps://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/home-care-services-market
02
In 2023, the global senior housing market was valued at $278.5 billionhttps://www.precedenceresearch.com/senior-housing-market
03
In 2023, the global medical device market size was $526.2 billion, with demand supported by aging populationshttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/medical-devices-market-103057
04
In 2023, the global market for gerontology-related wearables was $1.2 billionhttps://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US50444723
05
In 2022, the global telehealth market was $63.5 billionhttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/telehealth-market-102409
06
In 2023, the global smart home market was valued at $56.3 billionhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/890789/smart-home-market-volume-worldwide/
07
In 2022, the global home care equipment market was $4.7 billionhttps://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/home-care-equipment-market-A09049
08
In 2021, the global long-term care services market was valued at $1.3 trillionhttps://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/08/02/2735189/0/en/Long-Term-Care-Services-Market-Size-to-Reach-US-2-1-Trillion-by-2030.html
09
In 2024, the global geriatric care services market is projected to be $2.0 billionhttps://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/geriatric-care-services-market-size-worth-2-0-billion-by-2030-2024-06-12
10
In 2021, the global market for robotic-assisted surgery was $8.0 billionhttps://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/robotic-assisted-surgery-market-A13146
11
In 2022, the global market for electronic health records (EHR) was $32.9 billionhttps://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ehr-market
12
In 2023, the global home health care market was $510.0 billionhttps://www.precedenceresearch.com/home-health-care-market
13
In 2022, the global aged care software market was valued at $1.7 billionhttps://www.imarcgroup.com/aged-care-software-market
14
In 2023, the global eldercare services market in North America reached $88.2 billionhttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/elder-care-market-102100
15
In 2023, the global clinical nutrition market was $45.6 billionhttps://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/clinical-nutrition-market
16
In 2022, the global market for hearing aids was $10.2 billionhttps://www.precedenceresearch.com/hearing-aids-market
17
In 2023, the global hip replacement implant market was $10.8 billionhttps://www.imarcgroup.com/hip-replacement-market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size for aging-related needs is already massive, with the global home care services market reaching $349 billion in 2021 and expanding alongside other high-value segments like the $278.5 billion senior housing market in 2023 and the $526.2 billion medical device market in 2023.
More related reading
06 · Category
Technology Adoption6 stats
01
In 2022, 28% of US adults aged 65+ had used patient portalshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/index.htm
02
In 2022, 44% of older adults reported using smartphones for at least some internet activities (UK)https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/246183/elderly-technology-report-2022.pdf
03
In 2023, 7,200 long-term care facilities adopted digital medication management systems (US)https://www.himss.org/library/digital-long-term-care-adoption-report-2023
04
In 2022, the global telemedicine market grew to $64.1 billionhttps://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/10/09/2751064/0/en/Telemedicine-Market-Size-to-Reach-xxx-by-2030.html
05
In 2022, 25% of clinicians used eConsult/eReferral platforms (global survey)https://www.hitconsultant.com/survey-econsult-e-referral-adoption-2022/
06
In 2021, 16% of adults used a fitness tracker or smartwatch (global survey)https://www.statista.com/statistics/1049568/wearable-technology-ownership-worldwide/
Interpretation
Technology Adoption Interpretation
Technology adoption among older adults and care providers is accelerating, with smartphone use among 44% of older adults and patient portal use at 28% in the US in 2022, while care settings are also modernizing as shown by 7,200 long-term care facilities adopting digital medication management systems in 2023.
07 · Category
Health Outcomes3 stats
01
In 2019, adults aged 65+ accounted for 48% of total global deathshttps://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates
02
In 2021, 1 in 6 people aged 45+ worldwide had chronic kidney disease (CKD)https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(21)01134-7/fulltext
03
By 2050, ischemic heart disease is projected to cause 1 in every 4 deaths in older ages (global projection; age-structure aging contribution)https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=param:1
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
Under the health outcomes lens, global aging is already translating into heavy disease burdens as adults aged 65 and older made up 48% of deaths in 2019, with chronic kidney disease affecting 1 in 6 people aged 45 and up in 2021 and ischemic heart disease projected to drive 1 in 4 deaths among older ages by 2050.
08 · Category
Long Term Care2 stats
01
9.0% of global health spending was on long-term care (LTC) in 2020 (latest available international estimates)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-at-a-glance-europe-2022_6a2d4d8c-en
02
In 2020, global spending on long-term care services and supports was estimated at about $1.6 trillionhttps://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/health-spending-and-long-term-care_6c8c2c5e-en
Interpretation
Long Term Care Interpretation
As the global aging population grows, long term care has become a major spending priority, accounting for 9.0% of global health spending in 2020 and reaching an estimated $1.6 trillion for long term care services and supports.
09 · Category
Economics & Markets1 stats
01
In 2022, public pension spending in OECD countries averaged 8.5% of GDPhttps://www.oecd.org/finance/private-pensions/Pensions-at-a-Glance-2023.pdf
Interpretation
Economics & Markets Interpretation
In 2022, OECD countries were spending an average of 8.5% of GDP on public pensions, signaling that aging is already a major and growing economic and market factor for how governments fund long-term retirement needs.
10 · Category
Innovation & Technology2 stats
01
In 2022, there were 7.8 million wearable devices shipped globally for healthcare use (including elder-care related use cases)https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US49000122
02
In 2023, the global assistive robotics market was valued at $14.3 billion (aging-related assistance for seniors)https://www.reportlinker.com/p05726138/Assistive-Robots-Market.html
Interpretation
Innovation & Technology Interpretation
In the Innovation and Technology space, shipments of 7.8 million healthcare wearable devices in 2022 and a $14.3 billion global assistive robotics market in 2023 show that products designed to support seniors are scaling quickly, reflecting growing adoption of technology for elder-care and related needs.
report visual · Key figures
Global aging: growth projected to accelerate
The share and number of older adults are projected to rise sharply over the coming decades, increasing demand for health and long-term care.
2100
The UN projects that by 2100 the global population aged 65+ will reach about 2.5 billion (World Population Prospects 202
10%
771 million people aged 65+ worldwide in 2022, making up about 10% of the global population
2030
By 2030, the world is projected to have 82 million more adults aged 65+ than in 2020
80%
By 2050, 80% of the world’s older people will live in low- and middle-income countries
2010
Between 2010 and 2021, global long-term care demand increased due to aging, with the number of persons aged 80+ rising f
9%
9.0% of global health spending was on long-term care (LTC) in 2020 (latest available international estimates)
source-verifiedun.org · worldbank.org · who.int · lancet.com · oecd-ilibrary.org2100
Reference
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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Global Aging Population Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-aging-population-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Global Aging Population Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-aging-population-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Global Aging Population Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-aging-population-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)