Countries With the Oldest Populations: Ranked List

Japan has the oldest population of any major country, with a median age of roughly 49 and about 29% of its people aged 65 or older. The microstate of Monaco skews even older, while Italy, Germany, Portugal and Greece lead the rest of the aging world.

Introduction

A population ages when birth rates fall and life expectancy rises. Measured by median age (the age that splits a population into two equal halves) and by the share of residents aged 65 and over, the oldest societies on Earth are concentrated in East Asia and Europe. These are wealthy, long-lived nations where families have grown small and where medical care keeps people alive far longer than a century ago.

An aging population reshapes everything from pension systems and healthcare spending to housing, labor markets and elections. The countries below face the challenge first, offering a preview of a demographic future that most of the developed world is heading toward.

The World's Oldest Populations

Ranked by median age and share over 65

• Monaco: The tiny principality has the highest median age on Earth, estimated near 55, and roughly a third of residents are over 65. Its wealth attracts retirees, and its permanent population is small and long-lived.
• Japan: Median age of about 49 with roughly 29% of the population aged 65 or older, the highest such share of any large country. Japan combines one of the world's longest life expectancies (around 84 years) with decades of very low birth rates.
• Italy: Median age near 48 and about 24% of Italians are over 65, making it the oldest large country in Europe. Low fertility and steady emigration of young workers deepen the trend.
• Germany: Median age around 46 to 48 with roughly 22% aged 65 or older. Immigration has slowed the decline, but Germany remains one of the oldest societies in the world.
• Portugal: Median age near 47 and about 24% of the population over 65, driven by very low birth rates and the emigration of younger Portuguese.
• Greece: Median age around 46 with roughly 23% aged 65 or older, worsened by economic hardship that pushed many young Greeks to leave.
• Finland: Median age near 44 and about 23% over 65, the oldest of the Nordic countries.
• Bulgaria: Median age around 45 with about 22% aged 65 or older. Bulgaria combines aging with one of the world's fastest-shrinking populations.
• Croatia: Median age near 45 and roughly 22% over 65, reflecting low fertility and emigration to wealthier EU states.
• Slovenia: Median age around 45 with about 21% aged 65 or older, among the oldest in Central Europe.

Among large countries, Japan and Italy clearly lead. Monaco and San Marino post even older figures, but their populations are so small that they are best treated as special cases rather than direct comparisons to nations of tens of millions.

The Country Aging Fastest

• South Korea: Its median age of about 45 is rising faster than almost anywhere on Earth. With a fertility rate near 0.7, the lowest in the world, South Korea is on track to overtake Japan as the oldest society within a few decades.
• China: Median age near 39 and climbing quickly after decades of the one-child policy, with the over-65 share expected to more than double by mid-century.
• Spain: Median age near 46 and projected by some forecasts to become one of the oldest countries in the world by 2050.

Aging is not only about who is old today but about how fast a society is graying. South Korea is the standout: it was a young, developing country in the 1980s and will soon be among the oldest on the planet, a transformation that took Europe more than a century.

Why These Countries Age

Three forces drive extreme aging. First, low fertility: when women have fewer than about 2.1 children on average, each generation is smaller than the last. Japan, Italy, South Korea and much of Eastern Europe sit far below that replacement level. Second, long life expectancy: better medicine and diet mean people live into their 80s and beyond. Third, emigration of the young, which hollows out the working-age middle in countries like Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece and leaves an older population behind.

Good to Know

Which country has the oldest population?

Among large countries, Japan has the oldest population, with a median age near 49 and about 29% of residents aged 65 or older. The microstate of Monaco has an even higher median age, around 55, but its population is tiny.

What is median age and why does it matter?

Median age is the age that divides a population so that half the people are older and half are younger. A high median age signals an aging society with more retirees relative to workers, which strains pensions and healthcare.

Which country is aging the fastest?

South Korea is aging faster than almost any nation on Earth. With the world's lowest fertility rate (around 0.7 children per woman), it is projected to overtake Japan as the oldest society within a few decades.