Data source for Chart 28.4
Population aged 65 and older, by country
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Chart 28.4 is a bar chart showing the percentage of the population aged 65 and older in 42 countries. The percentages are observations for 2010 and projections for 2050. All population projections require assumptions about future trends in life expectancy, fertility rates and migration, and these assumptions may differ between countries.
Projections are not available for Turkey, Israel and the OECD total.
Japan had the highest percentage of the population aged 65 and older in both 2010 and 2050: 23.1% in 2010 and a projected 39.6% in 2050.
South Africa had the fewest seniors proportionally: 4.6% in 2010 and a projected 10.1% in 2050.
Korea's pattern differs. The share of its senior population was relatively low in 2010, 10.9%, but is projected to be much higher in 2050, 38.2%—the second-highest share after Japan.
The share of seniors in Canada's population ranked more or less in the middle of the group of countries. Its population aged 65 and older was 14.1% in 2010 and is projected to be 26.3% in 2050.
| 2010 | 2050 | |
|---|---|---|
| % of total population | ||
| Japan | 23.1 | 39.6 |
| Italy | 20.5 | 33.6 |
| Germany | 20.4 | 31.5 |
| Greece | 18.9 | 32.5 |
| Sweden | 18.3 | 23.6 |
| Portugal | 18.0 | 32.0 |
| Belgium | 17.6 | 27.7 |
| Austria | 17.6 | 27.4 |
| Switzerland | 17.5 | 28.3 |
| Finland | 17.3 | 27.6 |
| Spain | 17.0 | 35.7 |
| Estonia | 17.0 | 23.8 |
| Hungary | 16.7 | 26.9 |
| France | 16.7 | 26.2 |
| Slovenia | 16.4 | 30.2 |
| Denmark | 16.3 | 23.8 |
| United Kingdom | 16.0 | 24.1 |
| Netherlands | 15.5 | 23.5 |
| Czech Republic | 15.4 | 31.2 |
| Norway | 15.0 | 23.2 |
| OECD totalNote 1 | 14.7 | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period |
| Luxembourg | 14.6 | 22.1 |
| Canada | 14.1 | 26.3 |
| Poland | 13.5 | 29.6 |
| Australia | 13.5 | 22.2 |
| United States | 13.1 | 20.2 |
| New Zealand | 13.0 | 26.2 |
| Russian | 12.8 | 23.1 |
| Slovak Republic | 12.4 | 30.1 |
| Iceland | 12.1 | 21.5 |
| Ireland | 11.4 | 26.3 |
| Korea | 10.9 | 38.2 |
| IsraelNote 1 | 9.9 | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period |
| Chile | 9.0 | 21.6 |
| China | 8.2 | 25.6 |
| TurkeyNote 1 | 7.7 | Note ..: not available for a specific reference period |
| Brazil | 7.0 | 22.5 |
| Mexico | 5.9 | 21.2 |
| Indonesia | 5.6 | 19.2 |
| India | 4.9 | 13.5 |
| South Africa | 4.6 | 10.1 |
|
.. not available for a specific reference period Note: All population projections require assumptions about future trends in life expectancy, fertility rates and migration, and these assumptions may differ across countries. 1. Projection not available. Source: Data based on OECD (2011), OECD Factbook 2011-2012. |
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