Older People Surpass The Young In The World For The First Time In History: Report
Falling birth rates and longer lifespans drove the shift, with 71% of the world living in below-replacement fertility countries in 2023, Census data show.
- People age 65 and older now outnumber children five and younger globally for the first time in recorded history, according to a new report released by the Census Bureau.
- Falling birth rates and longer lifespans have driven this demographic shift, with the report stating that "the fact that people are living longer is one of the primary driving factors."
- Globally, the share of people 65 and older is forecast to nearly double from 10.5 percent to 19.6 percent by 2060, as the world adds another 2 billion people.
- Africa is expected to more than quadruple its older population from 60 million to 249 million by 2060, overtaking Europe's projected 214 million older residents.
- Census contributor Andrew Scott said this shift "could force societies to rethink old age as an economic asset rather than simply a cost," provided preventive health is prioritized.
13 Articles
13 Articles
For the First Time, Older Adults Outnumber Young Kids
For the first time in recorded history, the world now has more people 65 and older than children under 5, a shift driven by falling birthrates and longer lives, per a new US Census report. In 2023, more than 71% of the global population lived in countries at or below...
For the first time, there are more elderly people in the world than children under the age of five
For the first time, there are more elderly people in the world than children under the age of fiveAccording to Axios, citing the US Census Bureau, global demographics are changing faster than expected: the birth rate is declining and life expectancy...
A historical demographic change is under way: older people exceed the number of children under 5 years of age. What this means for jobs, pensions and the global economy Throughout most of mankind's history, the pyramid of the population has had a stable form: many children at the base, many adults at the middle and fewer elderly at the top.
For the first time in history, Older adults now outnumber the youngest children worldwide
For the first time in recorded history, people age 65 and older now outnumber children five and under across the globe. According to a report from Axios citing a new U.S. Census Bureau analysis, the crossover marks a profound inversion of the human age structure that demographers once expected would arrive later. Falling birth rates […]
Historic first: Older adults now outnumber the youngest children for the first time
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database; Chart: Noah Bressner/AxiosPeople 65 and older now outnumber children ages 5 and younger worldwide for the first time in recorded history, according to a new report by the U.S. Census.Why it matters: A global plunge in fertility — demographers' term for the number of children being born — and increased longevity are creating a demographic inversion that's projected to deepen for decades.It's a tre…
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