World has more seniors than kids for 1st time ever
What's the story
For the first time in human history, senior citizens now outnumber children aged five and under across the globe. According to a report by the United States Census Bureau, this demographic shift had occurred by 2025. The global population of people aged 65 and older surpassed that of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers within the last five years due to declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.
Aging rank
US to fall in global ranking
The United States is currently the 48th oldest country in the world, with 18.9% of its population aged 65 and above. This figure is expected to rise to 23.4% by 2060.
However, as other countries age more rapidly, the US's ranking is likely to fall to the 110th position.
Nearly 71% of the world's population now lives in countries with fertility rates at or below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman.
Senior growth
One in 5 people will be over 65 by 2060
The number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase from 852 million in 2025 to two billion by 2060.
This will account for a staggering 55% of all net global population growth during this period, Axios reported.
The world's total population is projected to grow from 8.13 billion in 2025 to a whopping 10.23 billion by 2060, which means one in five people on Earth will be over 65 years old.
Senior surge
Africa's senior population to surpass Europe's
Africa, the youngest continent, will see its senior population more than quadruple by 2060.
The number of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase from 60 million to 249 million.
This will surpass Europe's projected senior population of 214 million during the same period.
Latin America and the Caribbean are also expected to witness a 158% increase in their elderly populations, while Asia will see the largest numerical rise with 1.24 billion people aged 65 and over.