The world population has reached a major demographic turning point, with people aged 65 and over now outnumbering children aged five and under globally for the first time in recorded history.
The shift, recorded between 2020 and 2025, highlights the rapid ageing of the world’s population as fertility rates decline and people live longer.
According to the US Census Bureau’s An Aging World: 2025 report, the global population aged 65 and over has surpassed the number of children aged five and under.
The demographic change is expected to accelerate in the coming decades. The Census Bureau projects that the global population aged 65 and over will increase from about 852 million in 2025 to around two billion by 2060.
The trend reflects major changes in population structures across countries, with many nations experiencing sustained declines in birth rates alongside improvements in life expectancy.
An ageing global population is expected to place greater pressure on healthcare systems, pensions, social services and labour markets, while also reshaping consumer demand and economic policies.
For countries already experiencing rapid population ageing, the growing number of older people is likely to increase the need for long-term care and policies that support healthy and active ageing.
At the same time, countries with younger populations will continue to face different challenges, including the need to create jobs, expand education and provide essential services for growing working-age populations.
The demographic milestone underscores how dramatically the world’s population structure is changing — from an era dominated by large numbers of young children to one in which older people represent an increasingly significant share of humanity.
Chronicle NG reports that the shift is among the clearest signs yet of the profound demographic changes taking place worldwide.
