Ireland vs Japan: People aged 65 and over

People aged 65 and over in 2023: 15.5% in Ireland and 29.6% in Japan, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Japan, by 14 percentage points, or 1.9 times that in Ireland.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

IrelandJapanUN projection (medium variant)World

What the numbers say

Japan has been higher since 1988, when it overtook Ireland.
In 2023, Ireland ranked 67 and Japan ranked 3 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ireland at 33.3% and Japan at 37.4% in 2100.
The world as a whole: 10% in 2023.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Ireland	Japan	World
2023	15.5	29.6	10
2022	15.2	29.4	9.8
2021	14.9	29.2	9.5
2020	14.6	28.9	9.3
2019	14.2	28.6	9.1
2018	14	28.4	8.9
2017	13.7	28	8.7
2016	13.4	27.5	8.5
2015	13.1	26.9	8.3
2014	12.8	26.2	8.1
2013	12.5	25.4	7.9
2012	12.1	24.5	7.8
2011	11.7	23.7	7.7
2010	11.4	23.1	7.6
2009	11.1	22.8	7.5
2008	10.9	22.3	7.5
2007	10.8	21.6	7.4
2006	10.9	21	7.3
2005	11	20.3	7.3
2004	11.1	19.6	7.2
2003	11.1	19.1	7.1
2002	11.1	18.6	7
2001	11.1	18	6.9
2000	11.2	17.4	6.8
1999	11.3	16.9	6.8
1998	11.3	16.3	6.7
1997	11.4	15.8	6.6
1996	11.4	15.2	6.5
1995	11.4	14.7	6.5
1994	11.4	14.2	6.4
1993	11.4	13.7	6.3
1992	11.4	13.2	6.2
1991	11.4	12.6	6.1
1990	11.4	12.2	6.1
1989	11.3	11.7	6
1988	11.2	11.3	6
1987	11	11	5.9
1986	10.9	10.6	5.9
1985	10.8	10.4	5.8
1984	10.7	10	5.8
1983	10.7	9.8	5.8
1982	10.7	9.5	5.8
1981	10.8	9.3	5.8
1980	10.8	9.1	5.8
1979	10.8	8.8	5.8
1978	10.8	8.6	5.7
1977	10.7	8.4	5.6
1976	10.7	8.1	5.6
1975	10.7	7.9	5.5
1974	10.8	7.7	5.5
1973	10.9	7.6	5.4
1972	11	7.4	5.4
1971	11.1	7.2	5.3
1970	11.1	7.1	5.3
1969	11.2	7	5.2
1968	11.2	6.8	5.2
1967	11.2	6.7	5.2
1966	11.2	6.5	5.1
1965	11.2	6.3	5.1
1964	11.2	6.2	5
1963	11.2	6.1	5
1962	11.2	6	5
1961	11.3	5.8	5
1960	11.2	5.7	5
1959	11.1	5.6	5
1958	11.1	5.5	5
1957	11.1	5.4	5
1956	11	5.4	5
1955	10.9	5.3	5
1954	10.9	5.2	5
1953	10.8	5.1	5
1952	10.8	5	5
1951	10.8	4.9	5
1950	11	4.9	5.1

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ireland	Japan	World
2024	15.9	29.8	10.2
2025	16.2	30	10.4
2026	16.5	30.2	10.6
2027	16.9	30.4	10.8
2028	17.2	30.6	11.1
2029	17.6	30.8	11.5
2030	18	31.1	11.8
2031	18.3	31.3	12
2032	18.7	31.5	12.3
2033	19	31.9	12.6
2034	19.4	32.3	12.8
2035	19.8	32.7	13.1
2036	20.2	33.2	13.4
2037	20.6	33.7	13.7
2038	21	34.3	13.9
2039	21.4	34.9	14.1
2040	21.9	35.4	14.3
2041	22.3	35.8	14.5
2042	22.7	36.1	14.7
2043	23.2	36.4	14.9
2044	23.7	36.6	15
2045	24.2	36.8	15.2
2046	24.7	37	15.4
2047	25.1	37.1	15.7
2048	25.5	37.2	15.9
2049	25.9	37.4	16.1
2050	26.1	37.5	16.3
2051	26.4	37.6	16.6
2052	26.6	37.6	16.8
2053	26.7	37.7	17.1
2054	26.9	37.7	17.3
2055	27	37.6	17.6
2056	27.1	37.6	17.8
2057	27.1	37.6	18
2058	27.2	37.5	18.2
2059	27.2	37.4	18.4
2060	27.2	37.4	18.5
2061	27.3	37.3	18.7
2062	27.3	37.2	18.8
2063	27.4	37.1	19
2064	27.5	37	19.1
2065	27.7	37	19.3
2066	27.8	36.9	19.4
2067	27.9	36.9	19.6
2068	28.1	36.8	19.7
2069	28.3	36.8	19.9
2070	28.5	36.8	20
2071	28.7	36.8	20.2
2072	29	36.9	20.3
2073	29.3	36.9	20.5
2074	29.7	37	20.7
2075	30	37.1	20.9
2076	30.3	37.2	21.1
2077	30.6	37.2	21.3
2078	30.9	37.3	21.5
2079	31.2	37.4	21.7
2080	31.4	37.5	21.9
2081	31.6	37.6	22.1
2082	31.8	37.7	22.3
2083	32	37.8	22.4
2084	32.2	37.8	22.6
2085	32.4	37.8	22.7
2086	32.5	37.8	22.8
2087	32.7	37.8	22.9
2088	32.8	37.7	22.9
2089	32.9	37.7	23
2090	33	37.6	23.1
2091	33	37.6	23.2
2092	33.1	37.5	23.3
2093	33.1	37.5	23.3
2094	33.1	37.5	23.4
2095	33.1	37.5	23.5
2096	33.2	37.4	23.6
2097	33.2	37.4	23.7
2098	33.2	37.4	23.7
2099	33.3	37.4	23.8
2100	33.3	37.4	23.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of the population aged 65 or older.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Ireland vs Japan: People aged 65 and over

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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