Worldwide Aging

The world's population is aging at a remarkable rate. Much of this is due to a decrease in birth rates and an increase in life expectancy over the last 20 years. In Europe, the percentage of people 60 or over is expected to increase by about one third from 1996 to 2025, depending on the country. In some developing countries, the percentage of people 60 or over is expected to increase 200% in the same time period. By 2025, it is expected that in Italy and Japan nearly one third of the population will be 60 or over. China and India, which are both developing countries, have the largest total populations, so they have and will continue to have the largest number of older people. By 2020, the world's population is expected to include more than 1 billion people 60 or over, and most will be in developing, rather than in developed, countries.