15 Countries With the Oldest Population in the World

If you’re curious about nations with the oldest population, take a look at our list of the countries with the oldest population in the world.

The world is constantly changing and often without us noticing it. In the past few decades, the world has been rapidly aging, as longevity increases while the number of babies born decreases. But it is fascinating how long people live nowadays compared to some earlier periods in the past. This may not come as a great surprise considering how people today take better care of themselves, there are also fewer wars, and less exhausting labor than a hundred years ago, for example. More or less, there is more access to medical care and therefore the ability to get proper help. It’s worth noticing that the most developed countries are in fact the world’s countries with the higher population of elders, and this is directly related to higher living standards in these countries as residents of developed countries have better nutrition, and definitely better economic conditions, thus they can afford good health care and a quality lifestyle.

Even though Monaco is currently the leader among elderly countries, many developed countries are quickly approaching the top regarding the aging population. For example, America’s 65-and over-population is likely to double in the near future (within the next thirty years), reaching 88 million, according to the National Institutes of Health. Also, it is expected that by 2050, life expectancy at birth is projected to grow as well from 68.6 years to 76.2, according to their research.

On the other hand, some of the youngest countries in the world, are developing countries where living standards are much lower than in the above mentioned European countries. Such countries include Niger, Uganda, and Malawi. The average age in these youngest countries is approximately 15 years, as opposed to most of their European counterparts where the average age is above 40.

According to the Institutes, the aging population has created a number of health challenges that we must deal with. Currently, population ages of 65 and above comprise 8.5 % of the world’s population, and the number is predicted to rise reaching a fascinating 17%, states the National Institutes of Health. It seems that the fertility rates are dropping everywhere while we witness longer lifespans at the same time. These two factors combined cause a series of consequences which affect various aspects of life including economy, pensions, and retirement. For example, in Japan, which has one of the largest aging populations in the world, one in four residents is older than 65, and this is mostly due to advanced health care which enables us to live longer than our predecessors. As a consequence, in order to try to adjust to this alarming situation, many countries have raised the retirement age so that now people have to work much longer to reach retirement. Additionally, they have also reduced pension benefits which make the situation even more difficult.

Fertility rates are dropping at a tremendous speed nowadays, and some of the Countries With Highest Aging Population, such as Japan, are even facing a greater number of deaths than births per year.  According to PassBlue, 1.001 million people were born in Japan in 2014 while 1.269 million died. With statistics like these, it is not a surprise that populations are rapidly aging. With not nearly enough babies born and the rising life expectancy at birth, the world is inevitably growing old.  According to the research, the trend of the aging population is likely to grow and expand to developing countries as well, such as Turkey or China, as living standards are improving. So it looks like a list of the world’s oldest nations which includes Austria, Italy, and Germany to name a few, is likely to become a lot longer.

However, some smaller countries are also facing the same issues as the large populations are, for example, Andorra and San Marino — they are among the smallest states in Europe which are rapidly growing old. It seems that Europe dominates when it comes to the aging of the population, as it certainly dominates today’s list.

Have you ever wondered which cities have the oldest residents? Well, so have we. We mentioned that the aging population is larger in developed countries than in developing countries, and the situation is similar with cities. The percentage of the older population is larger in metropolitan cities, such as Barcelona, Tokyo, Lisbon, and Milan, where a quarter of the population is already over 65.

Earlier, we wrote about the Fastest Growing Countries in The World by Population, and if you wish to know what those countries are I suggest you should take a look at our article. Ironically, we’re talking about growing population today as well, but a growing population of older people. We wanted to know what are the countries with the oldest population in the world, so we set out to determine a list. In order to do so, we visited The World Factbook which contains extensive research on the subject. Countries are ranked according to median age, from the highest to the lowest.

Let’s see if you live in one of the countries with the oldest population in the world.

15. Guernsey

The average age: 43.6

Guernsey is a European country where people from British and Normal-French descent live. With the average age of 43.6, Guernsey occupies the 15th spot on our list. The percentage of population older than 65 in Guernsey is 19.58%.

14. Saint Barthelemy

The average age: 43.6

With the average age being 43.6, Saint Barthelemy is equally as old as Guernsey. This Caribbean island also has a large number of elderly people, about 16.75%, therefore it definitely deserves a place on our list.

13. Andorra

The average age: 43.7

Andorra is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and apparently, a country where some of the oldest people live. With the average age of 43.7, Andorra ranked 13th among the 15 countries on our list.

12. Austria

The average age: 43.8

It seems that European countries dominate among those with the oldest population, and Austria ranked slightly higher than Andorra. With the average age of 43.8 and 19.26% of people aged over 65, Austria definitely has an older population than most places.

11. The Isle of Man

The average age: 43.9

Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency, although not part of the U.K. With the average age of 43.9, the Isle of Man ranks high on our list of countries with the oldest population in the world. The percentage of people aged over 65 is tremendously high at 20.36%.

10. Hong Kong

The average age: 44.0

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China is home to an aging population. With the average age 44.0, it came in at 10th on our list. The percentage of people older than 65 is 16.53%, which results in a large number of people considering China’s large population in general.

9. Slovenia

The average age: 44.1

Another European country that ranked high on the list is Slovenia with the average age being 44.1. Additionally, 19.51% of Slovenia’s population is older than 65.

8. San Marino

The average age: 44.2

The average age in the third smallest state in Europe, San Marino, is 44.2, while 19.65% of it’s population is older than 65.

7. Greece

The average age: 44.2

Greece ranks high on our list, and just like in San Marino, the average age is 44.2. The percentage of people aged over 65 is also high in Greece.

6. Italy

The average age: 45.1

The beautiful Italy is one of the countries with the oldest population in the world and it has been for quite some time. It is a well-known fact that population in Italy is rapidly aging, as the average age is now 45.1 which placed Italy 6th on our list. The percentage of people older than 65 is also high at 21.53%.

5. Virgin Islands

The average age: 45.6

The Virgin Islands ranked slightly higher than Italy and came 5th on our list with the average age being 45.6. Additionally, 17.55% of the population is older than 65.

4. Saint Pierre And Miquelon

The average age: 45.9

These islands were inhabited by French people and are the only thing that remains from the time when France had control over some North-American possessions. The average age is 45.9, while 20.33% of the population at Saint Pierre And Miquelon is older than 65.

3. Germany

The average age: 46.8

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is also on our list. With the average age being 46.8, Germany ranked third on our list. 22.06% of Germany’s population is older than 65.

2. Japan

The average age: 46.9

AS it was mentioned earlier, it’s no surprise that Japan is high on our list. With the average age of 46.9, Japan ranks second. Also, 27.87% of Japan’s population is older than 65.

1. Monaco

The average age: 52.4

With the average age of 52.4, Monaco is definitely number one among the 15 countries with the oldest population in the world. The population of this popular tourist destination is by far the oldest in Europe and in the world.