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Age Structure by Country 2024
Age structure is a way to describe what part or number of age groups a country has when compared to its overall population. According to the World Population Review, the country with the oldest age structure in the world is China with more than 166 million residents over the age of 65. The age structure overall of any nation is based closely to its birth rate, death rate and migration rate within the population.
The Significance of Age Structure
The age structure of a population tells a lot about the country overall. For example, if an age structure shows that a large size population is made up of 15 to 59 year-olds, this indicates a large working population, which in turn can lead to a more prosperous population. When a large portion of the population is beyond working age, this can cause a burden on a nation to support that aging generation. However, this isn’t always the case or at least it isn’t considered a burden within the country mentioned, China.
China’s Elder Care
Generally, China’s retirement age is 60 years of age for men and 55 for women. The National Institute of Health states that 90% of China’s elderly are primarily cared for by their family. Only 3% of the population live in a nursing home and a mere 7% receive some type of community care. This means that China is very much different from many other countries in terms of caring for their aging population as it is common for families to care for their own loved ones and for families to live in multigenerational living situations. When compared to the way the aging population is cared for in other countries, China is more efficient and responsible when compared to other nations regarding the governance of this process.
Why China Might be Leading in Age Structure
In fact, China values taking care of their own family as they age so much that they made it mandatory when they enacted the Elder Rights and Protection Law in 1996. This law mandated the fact that adult children should be responsible for their elderly parents' care, meaning they have to provide them with decent, safe housing, cover their medical needs and provide for them financially. Of course, this could also be seen as a way to unburden the government of China from having to support their aging population and putting the responsibility on their working age group citizens instead.
Country | Ages 0-14% | Ages 15-64% | Ages 65+% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 13.08% | 85.51% | 1.41% |
| United Arab Emirates | 16.23% | 81.77% | 2% |
| Bahrain | 18.14% | 77.83% | 4.03% |
| Montserrat | 15.92% | 76.6% | 7.48% |
| Kuwait | 23.32% | 73.28% | 3.4% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 20.7% | 73.24% | 6.06% |
| Seychelles | 17.95% | 72.58% | 9.47% |
| Saudi Arabia | 23.45% | 72.36% | 4.19% |
| Maldives | 22.25% | 71.97% | 5.78% |
| British Virgin Islands | 16.56% | 71.87% | 11.58% |
| Palau | 17.49% | 71.82% | 10.69% |
| Lebanon | 19.21% | 71.69% | 9.1% |
| Singapore | 14.82% | 71.49% | 13.7% |
| Mauritius | 15.3% | 71.35% | 13.36% |
| Brunei | 21.83% | 71.07% | 7.1% |
| Macau | 14.42% | 70.73% | 14.86% |
| Uzbekistan | 22.48% | 70.64% | 6.88% |
| Cyprus | 15.63% | 70.36% | 14.01% |
| South Korea | 11.53% | 70.1% | 18.38% |
| Bhutan | 23.49% | 69.97% | 6.54% |
| Suriname | 22.77% | 69.96% | 7.27% |
| Iran | 23.51% | 69.82% | 6.67% |
| Brazil | 19.77% | 69.72% | 10.51% |
| Taiwan | 12.22% | 69.72% | 18.07% |
| Azerbaijan | 21.78% | 69.64% | 8.58% |
| Thailand | 16% | 69.53% | 14.47% |
| Malaysia | 22.46% | 69.42% | 8.12% |
| China | 16.48% | 69.4% | 14.11% |
| Nicaragua | 24.16% | 69.36% | 6.48% |
| North Korea | 20.24% | 69.16% | 10.6% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13.14% | 69% | 17.86% |
| Turkmenistan | 24.63% | 68.82% | 6.55% |
| Bahamas | 21.37% | 68.8% | 9.83% |
| French Polynesia | 20.62% | 68.79% | 10.59% |
| Vietnam | 23.44% | 68.69% | 7.87% |
| North Macedonia | 16.06% | 68.69% | 15.25% |
| Costa Rica | 21.49% | 68.59% | 9.92% |
| Turkey | 22.12% | 68.58% | 9.31% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 19.05% | 68.55% | 12.4% |
| Paraguay | 22.4% | 68.54% | 9.06% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 19.4% | 68.54% | 12.05% |
| Guyana | 23.65% | 68.49% | 7.86% |
| New Caledonia | 20.96% | 68.45% | 10.59% |
| India | 24.77% | 68.42% | 6.8% |
| Mongolia | 26.16% | 68.24% | 5.6% |
| Mexico | 23.76% | 68.22% | 8.02% |
| Andorra | 12.31% | 68.17% | 19.52% |
| Indonesia | 24.22% | 68.1% | 7.68% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 22.61% | 67.95% | 9.43% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 21.97% | 67.94% | 10.09% |
| Anguilla | 21% | 67.88% | 11.12% |
| Wallis and Futuna | 19.98% | 67.86% | 12.15% |
| Kiribati | 27.06% | 67.77% | 5.17% |
| Greenland | 20.46% | 67.66% | 11.89% |
| Chile | 19.34% | 67.56% | 13.09% |
| Barbados | 16.78% | 67.56% | 15.66% |
| Armenia | 17.98% | 67.53% | 14.49% |
| Albania | 17.9% | 67.53% | 14.57% |
| Nepal | 26.32% | 67.52% | 6.16% |
| Colombia | 23.18% | 67.45% | 9.37% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 19.04% | 67.4% | 13.56% |
| Luxembourg | 16.73% | 67.38% | 15.88% |
| Djibouti | 28.65% | 67.21% | 4.15% |
| Sint Maarten | 18.52% | 67.18% | 14.29% |
| Micronesia | 27.41% | 67.13% | 5.46% |
| Bangladesh | 25.38% | 67.09% | 7.53% |
| Dominican Republic | 25.92% | 67.09% | 6.99% |
| Saint Lucia | 18.23% | 66.97% | 14.8% |
| Cuba | 16.39% | 66.81% | 16.8% |
| Belarus | 15.83% | 66.81% | 17.36% |
| Slovakia | 14.87% | 66.49% | 18.64% |
| Cayman Islands | 17.48% | 66.48% | 16.04% |
| Ecuador | 24.49% | 66.44% | 9.07% |
| El Salvador | 25.4% | 66.39% | 8.21% |
| Moldova | 18.01% | 66.37% | 15.62% |
| Fiji | 25.17% | 66.31% | 8.52% |
| Cook Islands | 18.43% | 66.23% | 15.34% |
| Sri Lanka | 21.95% | 66.22% | 11.83% |
| Honduras | 27.92% | 66.18% | 5.91% |
| South Africa | 27.29% | 66.17% | 6.54% |
| Oman | 29.88% | 66.17% | 3.95% |
| Spain | 13.37% | 66.13% | 20.5% |
| Aruba | 17.32% | 66.11% | 16.58% |
| Hong Kong | 13.04% | 66.02% | 20.94% |
| Russia | 16.86% | 65.99% | 17.15% |
| Venezuela | 25.13% | 65.98% | 8.9% |
| Ukraine | 15.9% | 65.95% | 18.15% |
| Peru | 26.04% | 65.94% | 8.02% |
| Morocco | 26.01% | 65.92% | 8.06% |
| American Samoa | 25.91% | 65.89% | 8.2% |
| Tajikistan | 29.98% | 65.84% | 4.18% |
| Dominica | 20.82% | 65.82% | 13.36% |
| Serbia | 14.45% | 65.81% | 19.74% |
| Jamaica | 24.11% | 65.8% | 10.08% |
| Haiti | 29.68% | 65.76% | 4.56% |
| Samoa | 27.33% | 65.72% | 6.94% |
| Nauru | 30.13% | 65.65% | 4.22% |
| Uruguay | 19.02% | 65.55% | 15.43% |
| Grenada | 22.23% | 65.51% | 12.26% |
| Cambodia | 29.47% | 65.39% | 5.14% |
| Kazakhstan | 25.26% | 65.29% | 9.44% |
| Tunisia | 24.77% | 65.26% | 9.98% |
| Jersey | 16.89% | 65.19% | 17.91% |
| Portugal | 12.85% | 65.18% | 21.96% |
| Bulgaria | 14.03% | 65.17% | 20.81% |
| Switzerland | 15.49% | 65.13% | 19.38% |
| Austria | 14.08% | 65.11% | 20.81% |
| Ireland | 20.39% | 65.04% | 14.57% |
| Australia | 18.43% | 64.89% | 16.69% |
| Botswana | 29.17% | 64.88% | 5.95% |
| Poland | 14.53% | 64.87% | 20.6% |
| Panama | 25.19% | 64.87% | 9.94% |
| Laos | 30.63% | 64.73% | 4.65% |
| Montenegro | 17.93% | 64.65% | 17.42% |
| Saint Martin | 24.9% | 64.65% | 10.45% |
| Italy | 12.08% | 64.61% | 23.31% |
| San Marino | 14.34% | 64.58% | 21.08% |
| Jordan | 31.42% | 64.53% | 4.05% |
| Guernsey | 14.38% | 64.48% | 21.14% |
| Liechtenstein | 15.27% | 64.38% | 20.35% |
| New Zealand | 19.15% | 64.36% | 16.49% |
| Algeria | 28.78% | 64.29% | 6.93% |
| Belize | 30.93% | 64.15% | 4.92% |
| Philippines | 30.49% | 64.06% | 5.45% |
| United Kingdom | 16.91% | 64.03% | 19.06% |
| Bolivia | 29.14% | 64.03% | 6.84% |
| Norway | 17.83% | 64% | 18.18% |
| Hungary | 14.24% | 63.97% | 21.79% |
| Eswatini | 32.16% | 63.88% | 3.97% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 29.54% | 63.86% | 6.6% |
| Canada | 15.65% | 63.85% | 20.5% |
| Argentina | 23.51% | 63.83% | 12.66% |
| Marshall Islands | 30.65% | 63.83% | 5.52% |
| Solomon Islands | 31.06% | 63.82% | 5.12% |
| Saint Barthelemy | 14.1% | 63.8% | 22.11% |
| United States | 18.15% | 63.72% | 18.12% |
| Georgia | 18.41% | 63.65% | 17.95% |
| Vanuatu | 31.73% | 63.41% | 4.86% |
| Croatia | 13.98% | 63.39% | 22.63% |
| Iceland | 19.98% | 63.39% | 16.63% |
| Latvia | 14.92% | 63.37% | 21.71% |
| Tuvalu | 29.27% | 63.3% | 7.43% |
| Denmark | 16.24% | 63.13% | 20.63% |
| Lithuania | 15.3% | 63.11% | 21.59% |
| Netherlands | 16.06% | 63.08% | 20.86% |
| Belgium | 17.03% | 63.06% | 19.91% |
| Puerto Rico | 12.84% | 62.98% | 24.18% |
| Germany | 13.75% | 62.97% | 23.28% |
| Guam | 26.64% | 62.85% | 10.51% |
| Malta | 14.53% | 62.83% | 22.65% |
| Libya | 32.81% | 62.8% | 4.39% |
| Tonga | 29.92% | 62.79% | 7.29% |
| Guatemala | 31.98% | 62.78% | 5.24% |
| Slovenia | 14.55% | 62.73% | 22.72% |
| Curacao | 19.3% | 62.7% | 18% |
| Greece | 14.02% | 62.66% | 23.31% |
| Gibraltar | 19.99% | 62.62% | 17.39% |
| Syria | 33.27% | 62.58% | 4.15% |
| Estonia | 15.56% | 62.27% | 22.17% |
| Lesotho | 32.4% | 62.21% | 5.39% |
| Romania | 15.63% | 62.13% | 22.24% |
| Isle of Man | 16.15% | 62.09% | 21.77% |
| Sweden | 17.26% | 62.05% | 20.69% |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 13.42% | 61.98% | 24.6% |
| Faroe Islands | 19.9% | 61.94% | 18.16% |
| Namibia | 34.38% | 61.68% | 3.94% |
| Israel | 25.96% | 61.66% | 12.38% |
| Bermuda | 16.45% | 61.66% | 21.89% |
| Yemen | 35.14% | 61.52% | 3.34% |
| Iraq | 35.24% | 61.17% | 3.59% |
| Gabon | 35.04% | 60.76% | 4.2% |
| France | 18.04% | 60.53% | 21.42% |
| Finland | 16.25% | 60.5% | 23.25% |
| Pakistan | 34.81% | 60.41% | 4.77% |
| Ivory Coast | 36.65% | 60.4% | 2.95% |
| Egypt | 34.37% | 60.27% | 5.36% |
| Kenya | 36.45% | 60.26% | 3.28% |
| Eritrea | 36.27% | 59.73% | 4% |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 37.21% | 59.64% | 3.15% |
| Mauritania | 36.11% | 59.58% | 4.31% |
| Rwanda | 37.95% | 59.1% | 2.95% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 36.05% | 59.01% | 4.94% |
| Papua New Guinea | 37.34% | 58.75% | 3.9% |
| Madagascar | 37.47% | 58.72% | 3.81% |
| Japan | 12.29% | 58.49% | 29.22% |
| Ghana | 37.72% | 57.92% | 4.36% |
| Comoros | 38.89% | 57.85% | 3.26% |
| Central African Republic | 38.84% | 57.71% | 3.45% |
| Malawi | 38.54% | 57.64% | 3.82% |
| Gambia | 38.86% | 57.57% | 3.57% |
| Ethiopia | 38.91% | 57.55% | 3.54% |
| Afghanistan | 39.8% | 57.35% | 2.85% |
| Zimbabwe | 38.16% | 57.32% | 4.52% |
| Sierra Leone | 40.54% | 56.89% | 2.58% |
| Togo | 38.98% | 56.76% | 4.26% |
| Timor Leste | 39.05% | 56.61% | 4.34% |
| Sudan | 40.47% | 56.35% | 3.19% |
| Republic of the Congo | 40.44% | 56.15% | 3.41% |
| Nigeria | 40.69% | 55.95% | 3.36% |
| Somalia | 41.54% | 55.77% | 2.69% |
| South Sudan | 41.93% | 55.48% | 2.59% |
| Senegal | 41.19% | 55.46% | 3.34% |
| Tanzania | 41.5% | 55.15% | 3.35% |
| Cameroon | 41.69% | 55.12% | 3.19% |
| Guinea | 40.96% | 55.05% | 4% |
| Zambia | 42.49% | 54.77% | 2.74% |
| Burkina Faso | 42.19% | 54.62% | 3.19% |
| Liberia | 42.69% | 54.5% | 2.82% |
| Monaco | 9.4% | 54.42% | 36.18% |
| Burundi | 42.67% | 54.03% | 3.3% |
| Benin | 45.37% | 52.18% | 2.45% |
| Mozambique | 45% | 52.1% | 2.9% |
| Chad | 46.24% | 51.27% | 2.49% |
| DR Congo | 45.92% | 51.2% | 2.87% |
| Angola | 47.18% | 50.49% | 2.33% |
| Uganda | 47.3% | 50.31% | 2.39% |
| Mali | 47.05% | 49.88% | 3.07% |
| Niger | 49.7% | 47.6% | 2.7% |