The world is quickly aging, with a growing number of countries becoming “super-aged societies”—where more than 20% of the population is 65 or older.
This article was written by Marcus Lu and originally published by Visual Capitalist.
This term was popularized by the UN, and is used in discussions regarding the challenges that a growing senior population presents.
To learn more about this global trend, we’ve visualized all of the world’s super-aged societies in 2025 based on the latest World Population Prospects.
Data and Key Takeaways
The numbers we used to create this graphic are included in the table below. Figures represent each country’s share of population that is over the age of 65 (2025 estimates).
| Rank | Country | % of Population Over 65 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Monaco |
36.0 |
| 2 |  Japan |
30.0 |
| 3 |  Saint Helena |
27.8 |
| 4 |  Martinique |
26.3 |
| 5 |  Puerto Rico |
25.3 |
| 6 |  Italy |
25.1 |
| 7 |  Portugal |
24.9 |
| 8 |  Guadeloupe |
24.7 |
| 9 |  Greece |
24.4 |
| 10 |  Finland |
24.2 |
| 11 |  Germany |
23.7 |
| 12 |  Hong Kong SAR |
23.7 |
| 13 |  Croatia |
23.6 |
| 14 |  Isle of Man |
23.6 |
| 15 |  San Marino |
23.2 |
| 16 |  Virgin Islands |
23.1 |
| 17 |  Serbia |
23.1 |
| 18 |  Bosnia & Herzegovina |
22.9 |
| 19 |  Bermuda |
22.6 |
| 20 |  France |
22.5 |
| 21 |  Bulgaria |
22.2 |
| 22 |  Slovenia |
22.2 |
| 23 |  Latvia |
22.2 |
| 24 |  Guernsey |
22.2 |
| 25 |  Estonia |
21.8 |
| n/a | 🌎 World Avg | 10.4 |
| 26 |  Spain |
21.6 |
| 27 |  Liechtenstein |
21.4 |
| 28 |  Czechia |
21.2 |
| 29 |  Hungary |
21.2 |
| 30 |  Denmark |
21.1 |
| 31 |  Austria |
21.1 |
| 32 |  Belgium |
21.0 |
| 33 |  Sweden |
20.9 |
| 34 |  Netherlands |
20.9 |
| 35 |  Poland |
20.8 |
| 36 |  Saint Pierre & Miquelon |
20.7 |
| 37 |  Lithuania |
20.7 |
| 38 |  Malta |
20.5 |
| 39 |  Switzerland |
20.4 |
| 40 |  South Korea |
20.3 |
| 41 |  Canada |
20.3 |
| 42 |  Romania |
20.1 |
| 43 |  Taiwan |
20.1 |
| n/a | 🌎 World Avg | 10.4 |
|---|
An aging population presents several economic and social challenges. For starters, it means there will be more retirees, and fewer workers to support them.
This can place greater strain on healthcare systems and pension plans—in the U.S., pension plans are already facing a $1.34 trillion shortfall.
Monaco is the Oldest
Monaco leads this ranking with 36% of its population being over the age of 65 (translating to a median age of 57!).
The country’s population is largely made up of wealthy expatriates due to its tax haven status. This results in a combination of low birth rates and high life expectancies.
New Entrants in 2025
It’s widely know that Japan has an aging problem, but did you know this issue is popping up in many other parts of the world?
As highlighted in the graphic, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, Romania, and Taiwan are all expected to reach super-aged status in 2025. All five of these countries are struggling with falling birth rates.
