5 Countries With the Largest Percentage of Population Aged 65 and Up

2. Japan

Population Percentage (ages 65 and above): 30%

Total Population (in thousands): 124,516.65

It is interesting to note that Tokyo Kanto Metropolitan Area in Japan is the city with the oldest population. With 8.7 million residents aged 65 and older, seniors constitute 23% of the city’s total population. You can read more about in in our article on 20 cities with the highest elderly populations.

It’s also worth highlighting that for the first time, over 10% of Japan’s population is aged 80 or older. By 2040, those over 65 will comprise 34.8% of the population. Despite a high elderly employment rate, social security costs are rising. Japan’s birth rate is one of the lowest globally, with fewer than 800,000 babies born last year, compared to over two million in the 1970s.