By 2015, there will be more than 100 million people in China who are more than 65 years old. By 2050, that population will raise to 300 million. At that time, a full one-fourth of the Chinese population will be older than 65.
More facts on aging populations:
- Globally, by 2018, there will be more people older than 65 than those younger than 5. This will be the first time this age discrepancy will have occurred.
- Though Japan had one of the youngest populations in the 1950s, the median age now is more than 40 years. By 2050, the median age of the Japanese population will exceed 50 years.
- The two areas of the world that are aging the most rapidly are East Asia and Western Europe. Though the United States is still subject to the trend of aging, the immigration of many younger Latin Americans to the U.S. is keeping the population's average age down.