For the First Time, World Population Aged 65+ Outnumbers Children Under 5

For the first time in recorded history, the world now has more people aged 65 and older than children under the age of five, a milestone that underscores a rapid global demographic transition.

The shift is driven by falling fertility rates and rising life expectancy. Already, 71% of the planet’s population lives in countries where births are below the level needed for natural population replacement, meaning deaths among working-age and older cohorts will increasingly outnumber new entrants without migration.

Projections suggest the number of people aged 65 and above could rise from 852 million today to 2 billion by 2060. Such growth is expected to intensify pressure on economies, pension systems, healthcare budgets and labor markets, forcing policymakers to reconsider retirement ages, immigration policy and elderly-care provisions.

Africa remains the only continent with a comparatively young population, while much of Asia, Europe and the Americas confront rapidly aging societies.