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Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
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Charted: The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
As demographics continue to shift in the 21st century, the world’s aging population will continue to be a focal point for many global decision makers.
Most countries around the world have experienced population explosions, or are about to. Combine this with declining birth rates and falling mortality rates, and it’s clear that the global senior population will continue to reach new heights.
These graphics by Pablo Alvarez use data from the 2022 UN World Population Prospects to visualize this increasing aging population across countries.
The World’s Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
In 2022, there were 771 million people aged 65+ years globally, accounting for almost 10% of the world’s population.
This segment has been growing at an increasing rate, and it’s expected to hit 16% in 2050, and eventually 24% by 2100. Here’s what that’s projected to look like, for every country and territory.
| Country by Population Aged +65 Years | 1950 | 2022 | 2100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 2.85% | 2.39% | 16.03% |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | 6.04% | 16.66% | 49.08% |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 3.49% | 6.39% | 28.83% |
| 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 2.38% | 7.27% | 45.41% |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | 10.02% | 14.98% | 37.04% |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | 2.93% | 2.6% | 12.07% |
| 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 3.69% | 10.71% | 37.49% |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 4.14% | 10.63% | 35.4% |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | 4.13% | 11.92% | 31.79% |
| 🇦🇲 Armenia | 8.17% | 13.15% | 36.13% |
| 🇦🇼 Aruba | 1.77% | 16.15% | 36.51% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 8.17% | 16.9% | 31.38% |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 10.42% | 19.81% | 33.93% |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 6.89% | 7.11% | 30.5% |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 4.76% | 8.89% | 29.58% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2.88% | 3.76% | 21.89% |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 3.9% | 6.04% | 32.56% |
| 🇧🇧 Barbados | 5.24% | 16.28% | 33.19% |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | 8.24% | 17.18% | 30.45% |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 11.03% | 19.73% | 32.83% |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | 3.57% | 5.09% | 29.21% |
| 🇧🇯 Benin | 7.85% | 3.06% | 11.03% |
| 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 5.71% | 20.41% | 37.73% |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 2.53% | 6.25% | 33.35% |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 6.11% | 4.85% | 21.75% |
| 🇧🇶 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba | 14.22% | 13.84% | 28.94% |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.95% | 18.4% | 36.4% |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | 4.32% | 3.65% | 17.96% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2.39% | 9.88% | 33.52% |
| 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 8.63% | 9.95% | 32.47% |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei | 4.85% | 6.17% | 30.93% |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 6.66% | 22.38% | 37.13% |
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 2.01% | 2.53% | 13.07% |
| 🇧🇮 Burundi | 3.22% | 2.48% | 13.23% |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 2.67% | 5.81% | 26.43% |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 3.47% | 2.67% | 11.89% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 7.7% | 19.03% | 31.55% |
| 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 3.67% | 5.55% | 32.63% |
| 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 6.05% | 8.17% | 28.75% |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 5.% | 2.51% | 11.43% |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | 4.33% | 2.01% | 9.64% |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | 3.3% | 13.03% | 36.61% |
| 🇨🇳 China | 5.04% | 13.72% | 40.93% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 3.22% | 9.% | 34.49% |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | 3.8% | 4.28% | 17.81% |
| 🇨🇬 Congo | 3.36% | 2.72% | 11.99% |
| 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 2.94% | 11.73% | 29.75% |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 2.97% | 10.83% | 36.99% |
| 🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 2.21% | 2.4% | 10.86% |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 7.82% | 22.36% | 37.03% |
| 🇨🇺 Cuba | 4.36% | 15.81% | 36.31% |
| 🇨🇼 Curacao | 5.82% | 14.95% | 30.46% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 5.95% | 14.83% | 33.36% |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 8.29% | 20.64% | 26.94% |
| 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | 3.77% | 2.92% | 10.62% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 9.04% | 20.49% | 30.45% |
| 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 1.99% | 4.54% | 19.68% |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | 7.67% | 9.53% | 34.28% |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 2.72% | 7.4% | 30.47% |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 5.2% | 7.83% | 31.97% |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2.95% | 4.83% | 21.77% |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 3.93% | 8.22% | 36.02% |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 5.53% | 3.12% | 15.13% |
| 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 3.2% | 4.01% | 19.86% |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 10.56% | 20.58% | 34.15% |
| 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 2.68% | 4.% | 16.26% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 3.01% | 3.14% | 18.6% |
| 🇫🇴 Faeroe Islands | 7.59% | 17.92% | 26.91% |
| 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | 8.27% | 11.08% | 35.86% |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | 5.99% | 5.9% | 20.6% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 6.63% | 23.27% | 34.04% |
| 🇫🇷 France | 11.39% | 21.66% | 34.23% |
| 🇬🇫 French Guiana | 7.96% | 5.98% | 21.13% |
| 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 3.% | 10.07% | 37.85% |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | 7.21% | 3.89% | 16.25% |
| 🇬🇲 Gambia | 2.5% | 2.43% | 16.06% |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | 9.35% | 14.61% | 31.19% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 9.46% | 22.41% | 33.72% |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | 4.62% | 3.55% | 15.91% |
| 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 6.94% | 20.84% | 37.63% |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 6.8% | 22.82% | 37.52% |
| 🇬🇱 Greenland | 3.06% | 10.02% | 29.16% |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | 5.12% | 10.07% | 30.54% |
| 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe | 5.51% | 20.04% | 34.45% |
| 🇬🇺 Guam | 1.11% | 11.84% | 31.19% |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 2.31% | 4.91% | 28.05% |
| 🇬🇬 Guernsey | 11.96% | 16.64% | 35.4% |
| 🇬🇳 Guinea | 5.39% | 3.32% | 14.% |
| 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 3.45% | 2.82% | 14.34% |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | 3.89% | 6.28% | 28.94% |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | 3.64% | 4.54% | 19.07% |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | 3.96% | 4.27% | 26.5% |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 2.48% | 20.47% | 41.64% |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 7.81% | 20.01% | 31.85% |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | 7.52% | 15.33% | 34.25% |
| 🇮🇳 India | 3.1% | 6.9% | 29.81% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 1.74% | 6.86% | 25.28% |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 5.22% | 7.62% | 33.72% |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | 2.79% | 3.41% | 18.44% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 10.99% | 15.14% | 32.48% |
| 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 13.9% | 22.29% | 31.8% |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 4.% | 12.04% | 25.97% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 8.09% | 24.05% | 38.19% |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 3.83% | 7.45% | 44.05% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 4.89% | 29.92% | 38.7% |
| 🇯🇪 Jersey | 12.34% | 16.22% | 30.52% |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | 5.03% | 3.84% | 27.3% |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 6.47% | 8.04% | 19.58% |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | 5.28% | 2.87% | 16.98% |
| 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 7.13% | 3.81% | 17.33% |
| 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 5.33% | 10.19% | 43.35% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 2.88% | 4.93% | 31.56% |
| 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 7.91% | 4.54% | 21.08% |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | 2.13% | 4.45% | 25.24% |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 10.12% | 21.86% | 32.86% |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 7.24% | 9.89% | 32.11% |
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 6.34% | 4.2% | 13.44% |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | 2.97% | 3.31% | 13.88% |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | 5.21% | 4.86% | 27.77% |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 7.89% | 19.37% | 34.79% |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 8.65% | 20.8% | 32.79% |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 9.71% | 15.03% | 31.55% |
| 🇲🇴 Macao | 3.11% | 13.% | 32.39% |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 3.25% | 3.35% | 16.21% |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | 3.06% | 2.61% | 15.61% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 4.91% | 7.5% | 30.78% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | 3.14% | 4.78% | 35.61% |
| 🇲🇱 Mali | 2.78% | 2.38% | 11.% |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 7.42% | 19.13% | 38.26% |
| 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 5.68% | 4.56% | 17.8% |
| 🇲🇶 Martinique | 5.85% | 22.77% | 37.31% |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 1.44% | 3.22% | 15.03% |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 3.18% | 12.79% | 33.76% |
| 🇾🇹 Mayotte | 6.61% | 2.88% | 18.15% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 2.99% | 8.32% | 34.88% |
| 🇫🇲 Micronesia (country) | 4.11% | 6.16% | 27.59% |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | 7.56% | 12.98% | 26.36% |
| 🇲🇨 Monaco | 15.64% | 35.92% | 30.16% |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 3.87% | 4.61% | 26.18% |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 7.85% | 16.55% | 34.16% |
| 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 7.92% | 17.7% | 33.05% |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 2.86% | 7.72% | 29.97% |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 3.13% | 2.57% | 13.43% |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 3.21% | 6.82% | 23.69% |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | 4.1% | 3.97% | 15.38% |
| 🇳🇷 Nauru | 8.98% | 2.5% | 15.87% |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | 2.74% | 6.09% | 29.51% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 7.76% | 20.31% | 32.89% |
| 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 5.% | 11.02% | 31.61% |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 9.09% | 16.31% | 33.2% |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 2.71% | 5.29% | 28.92% |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | .92% | 2.4% | 9.76% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 3.% | 2.97% | 12.31% |
| 🇳🇺 Niue | 4.79% | 15.16% | 22.55% |
| 🇰🇵 North Korea | 2.72% | 11.71% | 30.49% |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 5.87% | 14.91% | 36.56% |
| 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands | 2.95% | 10.81% | 32.09% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 9.52% | 18.44% | 31.65% |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 3.05% | 2.76% | 23.96% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 5.48% | 4.27% | 17.23% |
| 🇵🇼 Palau | 8.59% | 9.93% | 21.48% |
| 🇵🇸 Palestine | 4.77% | 3.53% | 23.44% |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | 3.57% | 8.77% | 30.03% |
| 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 1.09% | 3.19% | 16.81% |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 3.73% | 6.26% | 26.51% |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 3.43% | 8.41% | 30.33% |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 3.56% | 5.44% | 23.38% |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 5.22% | 18.55% | 35.69% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 7.% | 22.9% | 36.28% |
| 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 3.63% | 22.93% | 48.9% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 3.5% | 1.52% | 15.01% |
| 🇷🇪 Reunion | 3.81% | 13.28% | 32.4% |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 7.16% | 18.64% | 32.22% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 4.8% | 15.8% | 27.86% |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 2.76% | 3.2% | 17.36% |
| 🇧🇱 Saint Barthlemy | 7.3% | 10.61% | 43.89% |
| 🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 8.63% | 28.66% | 32.61% |
| 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5.36% | 10.13% | 29.79% |
| 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 3.59% | 9.23% | 33.39% |
| 🇲🇫 Saint Martin (French part) | 4.47% | 11.14% | 30.08% |
| 🇵🇲 Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 6.34% | 17.32% | 33.4% |
| 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7.71% | 10.86% | 32.34% |
| 🇼🇸 Samoa | 2.52% | 5.22% | 18.75% |
| 🇸🇲 San Marino | 10.15% | 20.47% | 35.73% |
| 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 3.92% | 3.76% | 15.6% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 3.32% | 2.81% | 30.28% |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | 3.42% | 3.14% | 16.54% |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | 6.15% | 20.56% | 37.55% |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 10.68% | 8.16% | 28.84% |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 3.02% | 3.14% | 15.52% |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 2.29% | 15.12% | 36.51% |
| 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 12.03% | 10.57% | 34.51% |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 6.63% | 16.98% | 33.4% |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 7.52% | 20.96% | 33.59% |
| 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 4.03% | 3.47% | 15.29% |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | 2.6% | 2.57% | 10.75% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 4.06% | 5.89% | 20.55% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2.74% | 17.49% | 44.44% |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 3.48% | 2.89% | 13.11% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 7.23% | 20.27% | 38.72% |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 8.76% | 11.54% | 35.73% |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | 3.03% | 3.5% | 13.28% |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | 4.09% | 7.39% | 25.8% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 10.19% | 20.25% | 31.83% |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 9.49% | 19.31% | 32.61% |
| 🇸🇾 Syria | 7.66% | 4.68% | 24.62% |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 2.11% | 16.71% | 37.32% |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 4.34% | 3.47% | 19.43% |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 2.2% | 3.1% | 14.97% |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 3.21% | 15.21% | 39.17% |
| 🇹🇱 Timor | 3.14% | 5.21% | 25.42% |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | 4.29% | 3.13% | 11.77% |
| 🇹🇰 Tokelau | 4.7% | 8.66% | 25.03% |
| 🇹🇴 Tonga | 4.6% | 6.22% | 21.65% |
| 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 3.93% | 11.52% | 32.67% |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 4.4% | 9.02% | 31.24% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 3.77% | 8.64% | 33.9% |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 5.84% | 5.15% | 21.55% |
| 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands | 5.79% | 10.34% | 28.25% |
| 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 4.98% | 6.48% | 16.15% |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | 2.87% | 1.69% | 14.33% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 7.54% | 18.81% | 33.2% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 3.35% | 1.83% | 15.77% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 10.84% | 19.17% | 32.56% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 8.18% | 17.13% | 30.47% |
| 🇻🇮 United States Virgin Islands | 7.54% | 20.42% | 39.11% |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 8.23% | 15.58% | 35.98% |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 5.87% | 5.14% | 22.24% |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 5.65% | 3.74% | 16.29% |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 2.29% | 8.61% | 27.71% |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 4.13% | 9.12% | 30.02% |
| 🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna | 1.76% | 13.47% | 32.98% |
| 🇪🇭 Western Sahara | 2.82% | 5.84% | 23.73% |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | 3.98% | 2.66% | 18.25% |
| 🇿🇲 Zambia | 2.76% | 1.75% | 12.66% |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 3.18% | 3.32% | 14.22% |
| 🌐 World | 5.13% | 9.82% | 24.03% |
Some of the places with high elderly shares today include high-income countries like Japan (30%), Italy (24%), and Finland (23%).
The lowest shares are concentrated in the Middle East and Africa. Many countries have just 2% of their population aged 65 years and older, such as Qatar, Uganda, and Afghanistan.
But over time, almost all countries are expected to see their older population segments grow. In just three decades, it is estimated that one-in-four European, North American, and Asian residents will be over 65 years of age.
By 2100, a variety of Asian countries and island nations facing low population growth are expected to see more than one-third of their populations aged 65 years or older, including South Korea and Jamaica at 44%. However, it’s actually Albania that’s the biggest outlier overall, with a projected 49% of its population to be aged 65 and older by 2100.
Passing the Generational Torch
The challenge of an aging population is set to impact all sectors of society, including labor and financial markets, demand for housing and transportation, and especially family structures and intergenerational ties.
One way to help grasp the nature of transition is to note the changing ratio between seniors and young children in the world population, as seen in the below crossover diagram:
Dropping fertility rates, in addition to improved child and infant mortality rates, are known to have played a major role in the plateauing population of children.
However, not all countries have witnessed this crossover yet, as it usually coincides with higher levels of economic development.
As countries such as India, Brazil, and South Africa reach higher levels of per capita income, they will be likely to follow down the paths of more advanced economies, eventually experiencing similar demographic fates and challenges.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
United States
Mapped: Countries Where Recreational Cannabis is Legal
In total, only nine countries have fully legalized recreational cannabis use.
Countries Where Recreational Cannabis is Legal
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
In 2024, Germany became the third European Union country to legalize cannabis for personal use, following Malta and Luxembourg.
Here, we map the countries where recreational cannabis use is allowed as of April 2024, based on data from Wikipedia.
Limited to Few Countries
In total, only nine countries have legalized recreational cannabis use nationwide. However, just a few of them have licensed sales.
| Country | Effective date | Licensed sales since |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | December 2013 | July 2017 |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | 30 July 2018 | Never authorized |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 18 September 2018 | Never authorized |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 17 October 2018 | 17 October 2018 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 28 June 2021 | Never authorized |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 14 December 2021 | Never authorized |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 9 June 2022 | 9 June 2022 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 21 July 2023 | Never authorized |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 1 April 2024 | Never authorized |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | Varies by state | Varies by state |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Varies by jurisdiction | Never authorized |
At the federal level, cannabis is still considered an illegal substance in the United States. That said, individual states do have the right to determine their laws around cannabis sales and usage. Currently, cannabis is allowed in 24 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia.
Interestingly, the oldest legal text concerning cannabis dates back to the 1600s—when the colony of Virginia required every farm to grow and produce hemp.
Since then, cannabis use was fairly widespread until the 1930s when the Marihuana Tax Act was enforced, prohibiting marijuana federally but still technically allowing for medical use.
Today, the U.S. cannabis market is a $30 billion business. By the end of the decade, that number is expected to be anywhere from $58 billion to as much as $72 billion.
Similar to the U.S., Australia does not allow the use at the national level, but cannabis can be used legally in the Australian Capital Territory, which includes the capital Canberra.
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