The number of people 65 and older is now increasing globally by more than 1 million per month, and within the next five to eight years, there will be more “older people” than young children in the world for the first time in history.

Sources

Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision.
National Institute on Aging; National Institute of Health, Publication No. 07 – 6134; March 2007

We are aging—not just as individuals or communities but as a world. In 2006, almost 500 million people worldwide were 65 and older. By 2030, that total is projected to increase to 1 billion—1 in every 8 of the earth’s inhabitants. Significantly, the most rapid increases in the 65-and-older population are occurring in developing countries, which will see a jump of 140 percent by 2030.

Nine emerging trends in global aging. Together, these trends present a snapshot of challenges and opportunities that clearly show why population aging matters.

• The overall population is aging. For the first time in history, and probably for the rest of human history, people age 65 and over will outnumber children under age 5.
• Life expectancy is increasing. Most countries, including developing countries, show a steady increase in longevity over time, which raises the question of how much further life expectancy will increase.
• The number of oldest-old is rising. People age 85 and over are now the fastest-growing portion of many national populations.
• Noncommunicable diseases are becoming a growing burden. Chronic non-communicable diseases are now the major cause of death among older people in both more developed and less developed countries.
• Some populations will shrink in the next few decades. While the world population is aging at an unprecedented rate, the total population in some countries is simultaneously declining.
• Family structures are changing. As people live longer and have fewer children, family structures are transformed, leaving older people with fewer options for care.
• Patterns of work and retirement are shifting.
• Shrinking ratios of workers to pensioners and people spending a larger portion of their lives in retirement increasingly strain existing health and pension systems.
• Social insurance systems are evolving. As social insurance expenditures escalate, an increasing number of countries are evaluating the sustainability of these systems.
• New economic challenges are emerging.
• Population aging will have dramatic effects on social entitlement programs, labor supply, trade, and savings around the globe and may demand new fiscal approaches to accommodate a changing world.