Specialists from the US Census Bureau in a new report for 2025 came to the conclusion that humanity is rapidly aging. For the first time in history, the number of people in the world aged 65 and over exceeded the number of children aged 5 and under – faster than scientists expected.
As the authors of the report noted, the trend among the most populated countries in the world was set by Russia, where since 1996 the population began to simultaneously decline and the share of pensioners grew, and then Japan joined it (since 2008).
In American statistics for 2025, Japan remained the oldest country with 29.7% of the population aged 65 years and older, but by 2060 the authors of the report predict changes in the ranking.
Experts have suggested, based on demographic trends, that Japan will be behind Taiwan and South Korea – in the latter, the share of retirees in 35 years may exceed 40%, although so far it is in 22nd place with 20.3%.
According to the report, Russia's figure was 18.3% last year and will increase to almost 30% by 2060. Due to the general aging of the planet's population, this is no longer enough for the top 25, the authors note.
Among the countries of the post-Soviet space, Ukraine is in both tops, current and predicted, (24th and 20th places), and Belarus is in the second in 16th place. American demographers believe that in both countries the share of people over 65 years of age will exceed 30% by 2060.
In the United States, according to the report, last year there was almost the same proportion of pensioners as in Russia, about 19%, but by 2060 its growth will be less significant – up to 23.4%, scientists are sure.
They note that in the United States, the key demographic indicator of population reproduction is not declining as sharply as in South Korea, China and Europe – be it Western or Eastern.
It is this parameter, coupled with an increase in life expectancy in a number of countries, that leads to an aging population, the authors emphasized. The study found that as early as 2023, more than 70% of humanity lived in countries with fertility rates below 2.1 children per woman, up from 45% 10 years earlier.
