China age 65+ share · 2025
14.9%World Bank WDI · population age 65+ share ↗
+7.9 percentage points since 2000
Population · age structure
Population aging
This page separates share, scale and dependency. The age-65+ share describes how old the population structure is; the 65+ total shows absolute scale; the old-age dependency ratio compares the 65+ population with ages 15–64.
China age 65+ population · 2025
209.7MWorld Bank WDI · population age 65+ total ↗
million people · WDI estimate
China old-age dependency · 2025
21.4%World Bank WDI · old-age dependency ratio ↗
age 65+ population ÷ ages 15–64
UN WPP medium projection · 2050
30.9%UN World Population Prospects 2024 ↗
China age 65+ share · projection, not observation
Two statistical systems
WDI carries the historical comparison; WPP carries the future population scenario
The 1960–2025 historical charts use one World Bank WDI snapshot. The future chart separately uses UN World Population Prospects 2024 five-year age groups: 1950–2023 are estimates and 2024 onward is the Medium projection. The two systems are not spliced into one supposedly seamless observed series.
Long-run trend
China population age 65+ share, 1960–2025
The share reached 14.91% in 2025, about 7.89 percentage points above 2000. This is an age-structure measure, not a retirement rate.
Source: World Bank WDI · population age 65+ share ↗ · WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS; same archived snapshotchinainfigures.com
Absolute scale
China population age 65+ total, 1960–2025
WDI estimates about 209.7 million people age 65+ in 2025. Scale and share answer different questions: countries with the same percentage can face very different absolute service demand.
Source: World Bank WDI · population age 65+ total ↗ · WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO; displayed in millionschinainfigures.com
International comparison
Age-65+ share in China and major aging economies
Japan, Italy, Portugal and Germany are already at higher aging levels. Korea and China show later but faster-rising East Asian paths. World is an aggregate benchmark, not a country in the ranking.
Source: World Bank WDI · population age 65+ share ↗ · Same WDI indicator, reference year and archived snapshotchinainfigures.com
Demographic structure pressure
Old-age dependency ratio: age 65+ relative to ages 15–64
This is a demographic ratio, not a literal count of older people financially supported by each worker. Not everyone aged 15–64 is employed, and not everyone 65+ is economically dependent.
Source: World Bank WDI · old-age dependency ratio ↗ · WDI SP.POP.DPND.OL; age 65+ ÷ ages 15–64chinainfigures.com
Future age structure
UN WPP 2024: population age 65+ share to 2050
WPP estimates China at 14.3% in 2023 and projects 30.9% in 2050 under the Medium variant. Values through 2023 are estimates; dashed segments from 2024 are projections.
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 ↗ · Derived from five-year-age-group PopTotal; 1950–2023 estimates, 2024–2050 Medium projectionchinainfigures.com
Cross-section, 2025
Age-65+ share and old-age dependency in major aging economies
| Economy | Age 65+ share | Age 65+ (m) | Old-age dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 29.99% | 37.0 | 51.04% |
| Italy | 25.10% | 14.8 | 39.68% |
| Portugal | 24.94% | 2.7 | 40.01% |
| Germany | 23.70% | 19.8 | 37.98% |
| Spain | 21.64% | 10.7 | 32.92% |
| Korea, Rep. | 20.33% | 10.5 | 29.27% |
| China | 14.91% | 209.7 | 21.40% |
| World | 10.40% | 854.6 | 15.96% |
WPP milestone years
2023 estimate and 2030, 2040, 2050 medium projections
| Year | China | Japan | Korea, Rep. | Germany | Italy | Portugal | Spain | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 14.3% | 29.6% | 18.3% | 22.8% | 24.2% | 24.1% | 20.7% | 10.0% |
| 2030 (proj.) | 18.3% | 31.1% | 25.1% | 26.5% | 28.0% | 27.0% | 24.6% | 11.7% |
| 2040 (proj.) | 26.6% | 35.3% | 33.8% | 29.6% | 34.2% | 30.8% | 31.2% | 14.3% |
| 2050 (proj.) | 30.9% | 37.5% | 39.7% | 30.3% | 36.8% | 33.0% | 36.1% | 16.3% |
China long-run milestones
Share, scale and dependency need to be read together
| Year | Age 65+ share | Age 65+ (m) | Old-age dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.97% | 26.5 | 7.12% |
| 1980 | 4.40% | 43.1 | 7.39% |
| 2000 | 7.02% | 88.6 | 10.25% |
| 2010 | 8.66% | 115.9 | 11.89% |
| 2020 | 12.65% | 178.4 | 18.22% |
| 2025 | 14.91% | 209.7 | 21.40% |
Age 65+ is not retirement
The age threshold is demographic
Statutory retirement ages, labor-force participation and pension systems differ. Age 65+ is a demographic comparison threshold, not proof that everyone is retired.
Scale versus share
China’s absolute older population is a separate issue
China’s 2025 age-65+ share is below Japan and several European countries, but its absolute older population exceeds 200 million. Service demand cannot be understood from percentages alone.
Projection is not observation
The 2050 value can change in later WPP revisions
The Medium variant is the UN’s current central population path, not a guaranteed outcome. Fertility, mortality and migration assumptions can change future age structure.
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Revision and update timeline
Population aging indicator prepared
Prepared World Bank WDI 1960–2025 history for the age-65+ population share and total plus old-age dependency ratio across China and seven comparison entities, together with UN World Population Prospects 2024 five-year-age-group estimates and Medium projections through 2050. WDI and WPP remain visibly separate statistical systems.
Related sources: World Bank ↗ · World Bank ↗ · World Bank ↗ · United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division ↗
Sources and definitions registered; automated checks passed
Data downloads and revision timeline added
Added page-level formal-data CSV files, chart-level CSV/PNG/SVG exports and a bilingual revision timeline to all indicator pages.
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