- The Census Bureau said people age 65 and older outnumbered children under five worldwide between 2020 and 2025.
- Older adults totaled 852 million in 2025, or 10.5% of the global population, and may reach 2 billion by 2060.
- Africa’s elderly population is projected to rise from 60 million to 249 million, surpassing Europe’s 214 million by 2060.
The Census Bureau said people age 65 and older outnumbered children age 5 and younger worldwide between 2020 and 2025. The crossover marked the first time the older group exceeded the youngest group in recorded history.
The agency announced the finding in a release dated August 31, 2026. It described the pace of change in stark terms.
“The global population is aging faster than ever before.”
The shift reflects two forces moving together: falling birth rates and longer lifespans. Fewer births reduce the youngest population, while longer lives increase the number of people reaching older ages.
That combination is changing the world’s age structure. It also puts the demographic reversal on a path to widen.
The report, An Aging World: 2025, says the 65-and-older population totaled 852 million in 2025. Older people represented 10.5% of the world’s population that year.
The agency projects that number will reach 2 billion by 2060. Their share of the global population is expected to rise to 19.6%.
The older population is set to nearly double its share of the world
The projected increase would reshape the balance between age groups over the next several decades. The older population would gain more than a billion people from its 2025 level, while its share of humanity would approach one-fifth.
The report connects the expansion to longevity. It states that “the fact that people are living longer is one of the primary driving factors.”
Birth rates provide the other side of the change. Persistently lower fertility means fewer children enter the population, while the existing population continues to live longer.
The result is not a temporary fluctuation. The global gap between the older and youngest groups is expected to widen for decades as the 65-and-older population expands.
Africa is projected to overtake Europe in older residents
The fastest growth is expected in Africa. Its older population is projected to rise from 60 million to 249 million by 2060.
Europe is projected to have 214 million older residents by then. The comparison places the regional shift within a broader redistribution of the world’s older population.
| Region | Older population in source figures | Projection or comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 60 million | 249 million by 2060 |
| Europe | Not provided as a starting figure | 214 million by 2060 |
The figures show how quickly aging is expected to advance in regions that currently have smaller older populations. They also place the projected African total above Europe’s 2060 figure.
The report says the global crossover arrived earlier than many demographers expected. That timing gives the trend a present-day dimension, rather than leaving it as a distant projection.
The shift challenges the way societies value old age
Andrew Scott, a contributor to the report, said the demographic change could alter how societies view older people and their economic role.
“could force societies to rethink old age as an economic asset rather than simply a cost”
Scott’s comment points to the policy question raised by the population figures. As the older group grows, societies will be dealing with a larger share of people beyond age 65 while the youngest group becomes comparatively smaller.
The report does not treat the change as a single-region development. It describes a worldwide reversal driven by demographic conditions that are already visible in the population count.
The crossover also separates population aging from the idea that the world’s population must keep getting younger. The latest figures show the oldest group has already passed the youngest group globally.
“Between 2020 and 2025, the proportion of the population age 65 and older exceeded the population age 5 and younger for the first time in recorded history.”
The bureau’s projections extend that shift through 2060. By then, older adults are expected to number 2 billion, and the 65-and-older share is projected at 19.6%.
