Global population is aging faster than ever

As global fertility rates continue to decline, the world's population is aging faster than ever, and Europe will have the world's largest share of seniors in 25 years.

Older adults are making up a growing share of the population in nearly every region, reshaping economies, labor markets and healthcare systems, according to a visualcapitalist.com analysis of how senior populations are expanding worldwide, based on estimates from insurance company AXA.

According to the cited source, currently 4% of Africa's population is aged 65 and over, a percentage that is expected to rise to 6% by 2050. With a median age of just 19 and a fertility rate of 4.1 births per woman, Africa's population is expanding rapidly. As a result, in the coming decades, it will have the largest working-age population in the world.

In contrast, Asia's population is aging rapidly-about 10% of the region is aged 65 and over, and that share is set to nearly double by 2050. In China alone, the senior population has grown from 7% in 2000 to 15% in 2024. By mid-century, it is expected to reach 33%, marking one of the fastest demographic shifts of all time.

The United States is also undergoing a major transformation. In particular, the number of Americans aged 65 and over will double - from 45 million today to 90 million by 2050. According to the cited source, the Medicare and Social Security programs represent 36% of current federal spending, already illustrating a significant burden on the budget.

In Europe, the 65+ population represents 25% in 2025 and is expected to reach 29% in 2050, making the region the oldest population globally.

• Demographic crisis in the EU?

Italy, Portugal and Bulgaria recorded the highest shares of the population over 65 in the EU in 2024, reports euronews.com, which shows how the demography of the community bloc will evolve until 2100.

At the beginning of 2024, the EU population was estimated at 449.3 million people, more than a fifth of whom were aged 65 or over. This number represents an increase of 0.3% compared to 2023 and 2.9% compared to ten years ago, according to Eurostat figures.

In 2024, the share of people over 65 increased in 26 EU countries compared to 2023, and decreased only in Malta.

The countries with the highest shares of people aged 65 and over were Italy (24.3%), Portugal (24.1%), Bulgaria (23.8%), Finland (23.4%), Greece (23.3%) and Croatia (23.0%). Meanwhile, Luxembourg (15.0%) and Ireland (15.5%) had the lowest shares.

In the coming decades, an upward trend in population ageing is expected, due to increased longevity and persistently low fertility levels. This may lead to "an increased burden on people of working age to cover the social expenditure required by the ageing population for a range of related services”, according to the EU's official statistics agency.

Children aged 0 to 14 accounted for almost 15% of the EU population last year, while people considered to be of working age accounted for over 60%. The highest shares of the child population in 2024 were observed in Ireland (18.9%), Sweden (17.1%) and France (17%). On the other hand, the lowest shares were recorded in Italy (12.2%), Malta (12.3%) and Portugal (12.8%).

• What will the EU demographics look like in 2100?

In EU countries, the median age ranged from 39.4 years in Ireland to 48.7 years in Italy in 2024, according to the aforementioned source. The median age in the EU increased by 2.2 years between 2014 and 2024.

Among EU countries, an increase of 4 years was recorded in Italy, Slovakia, Greece and Portugal.

However, in Germany, it decreased from 45.6 years in 2014 to 45.5 years in 2024, and in Malta, from 40.5 years in 2014 to 39.8 years in 2024.

The EU population is projected to peak at 453.3 million people around 2026, before gradually decreasing to 419.5 million by 2100. The median age is projected to increase by 5.5 years, from 44.7 years in 2024 to 50.2 years in 2100.

At the same time, the proportion of people aged 80 or over in the EU population is projected to increase 2.5-fold between 2024 and 2100, from 6.1% to 15.3%.