Countries young and old

Countries young and old

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The number of people age 65 and over is expected to nearly double by 2050 in the United States, one of many nations grappling with the effects of an ageing population.

At the other end of the scale, countries with the greatest proportion of young people face greater problems, with low levels of development, and life expectancy often well under 65. Here, we take a look at the countries with the most elderly and youthful populations in the world.

. Tokyo, Japan. Reuters/Thomas White

According to the World Bank 25.08 percent of Japan’s population is 65 or older - the highest proportion of any country on the planet. Back in 1960, that figure was just 5.73 percent.

The United Nations Population Fund writes on its website that ageing around the world is a “triumph of development. People are living longer because of better nutrition, sanitation, medical advances, health care, education and economic well-being.”

But ageing populations also present many challenges, including difficulties financing pensions and health care. In some cases, they can be related to large numbers of young people choosing to emigrate from certain countries, adding further strains to funding welfare.

. Tangaba, Niger. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

Niger has the world’s highest proportion of people aged 14 or under, at 50.09 percent.

The country also faces severe social and economic problems: life expectancy is just 58 years, and Niger ranks in joint bottom place among 187 countries on the Human Development Index.

The map below shows pictures from the ten countries with the greatest proportion of their population aged 65 or above.

It also shows the ten countries with the greatest proportion of people aged 14 and under. Data is sourced to the World Bank.

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An Angolan youth plays soccer in the streets of the capital Luanda. 47.5 percent of the country’s population is aged 0-14.
. LUANDA, Angola. Reuters/Rafael Marchante

An Angolan youth plays soccer in the streets of the capital Luanda. 47.5 percent of the country’s population is aged 0-14.

A man dressed in traditional costume stands in front Bulgaria's agriculture ministry building in Sofia. 19.31 percent of Bulgaria’s population is aged 65 and above.
. SOFIA, Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

A man dressed in traditional costume stands in front Bulgaria's agriculture ministry building in Sofia. 19.31 percent of Bulgaria’s population is aged 65 and above.

A young girl stands in a doorway of the Kobulin Transit Centre in eastern Uganda. 48.39 percent of Uganda’s population is aged 14 and under.
. KARAMOJA, Uganda. Reuters/Euan Denholm

A young girl stands in a doorway of the Kobulin Transit Centre in eastern Uganda. 48.39 percent of Uganda’s population is aged 14 and under.

Men stretch in the water at Queen Amelia's thermal bath complex in northern Portugal. 18.77 percent of Portugal’s population is aged 65 and above.
. SAO PEDRO DO SUL, Portugal. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Men stretch in the water at Queen Amelia's thermal bath complex in northern Portugal. 18.77 percent of Portugal’s population is aged 65 and above.

A girl collects paddy seedlings in the Manatutu district of East Timor. 45.78 percent of East Timor’s population is aged 14 and under.
. MANATUTU, East Timor. REUTERS/Lirio Da Fonseca

A girl collects paddy seedlings in the Manatutu district of East Timor. 45.78 percent of East Timor’s population is aged 14 and under.

An elderly woman walks past a National Bank branch in central Athens. 19.67 percent of Greece’s population is aged 65 and above.
. ATHENS, Greece. REUTERS/John Kolesidis

An elderly woman walks past a National Bank branch in central Athens. 19.67 percent of Greece’s population is aged 65 and above.

Children cycle past a building in Brikama, Gambia. 45.92 percent of Gambia’s population is aged 14 and under.
. BANJUL, Gambia. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

Children cycle past a building in Brikama, Gambia. 45.92 percent of Gambia’s population is aged 14 and under.

Two homeless women sit on a bench in downtown Rome. 21.13 percent of Italy’s population is aged 65 and above.
. ROME, Italy. Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

Two homeless women sit on a bench in downtown Rome. 21.13 percent of Italy’s population is aged 65 and above.

Afghan boys play with toy guns in Jalalabad. 46.62 percent of Afghanistan’s population is aged 14 and under.
. JALALABAD, Afghanistan. REUTERS/Parwiz

Afghan boys play with toy guns in Jalalabad. 46.62 percent of Afghanistan’s population is aged 14 and under.

An elderly woman clenches her fist during a rally demanding more social security benefits and higher pension rates. 18.57 percent of people in Latvia are aged 65 and over.
. RIGA, Latvia. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

An elderly woman clenches her fist during a rally demanding more social security benefits and higher pension rates. 18.57 percent of people in Latvia are aged 65 and over.

An elderly woman enjoys a sunny day in a public garden in Berlin. Germany has the world’s second highest proportion of people aged 65 and over at 21.14 percent.
. BERLIN, Germany. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

An elderly woman enjoys a sunny day in a public garden in Berlin. Germany has the world’s second highest proportion of people aged 65 and over at 21.14 percent.

Boys ride on a donkey cart after collecting mud bricks near a uranium mine. In Niger, 50.09 percent of the population is aged 14 and under.
. ARLIT, Niger. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Boys ride on a donkey cart after collecting mud bricks near a uranium mine. In Niger, 50.09 percent of the population is aged 14 and under.

A staff member feeds an elderly woman at a nursing home in Tokyo. 25.08 percent of Japan’s population is aged 65 and over.
. TOKYO, Japan. REUTERS/Issei Kato

A staff member feeds an elderly woman at a nursing home in Tokyo. 25.08 percent of Japan’s population is aged 65 and over.

A boy carries bricks at a riverside factory on the outskirts of Chad's capital N'Djamena. 48.40 percent of Chad’s population is aged 14 and under.
. NDJAMENA, Chad. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

A boy carries bricks at a riverside factory on the outskirts of Chad's capital N'Djamena. 48.40 percent of Chad’s population is aged 14 and under.

Wolfgang Brunner, a retired bicycle mechanic, poses with his tricycle on a street in Vienna. 18.36 percent of Austria’s population is aged 65 and above.
. VIENNA, Austria. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Wolfgang Brunner, a retired bicycle mechanic, poses with his tricycle on a street in Vienna. 18.36 percent of Austria’s population is aged 65 and above.

Local resident Kia Dembele, 7, pauses while doing her errands in Gao. 47.40 percent of Mali’s population is aged 14 and under.
. GAO, Mali. REUTERS/Joe Penney

Local resident Kia Dembele, 7, pauses while doing her errands in Gao. 47.40 percent of Mali’s population is aged 14 and under.

Kai Castren, right, the eldest resident on the Finnish island of Noto, is driven to a boat to vote in elections. 19.40 percent of Finland’s population is aged 65 and older.
. Noto, Finland. REUTERS/Lehtikuva/Tor Wennstrom - RTR17Z8O

Kai Castren, right, the eldest resident on the Finnish island of Noto, is driven to a boat to vote in elections. 19.40 percent of Finland’s population is aged 65 and older.

Somali students walk to class in Mogadishu. 47.20 percent of Somalia’s population is aged 14 and under.
. Mogadishu, Somalia. REUTERS/Ismail Taxta

Somali students walk to class in Mogadishu. 47.20 percent of Somalia’s population is aged 14 and under.

An elderly woman leaves a polling station in Stockholm. 19.33 percent of Sweden’s population is aged 65 and above.
. Stockholm, Sweden - Kingdom of. REUTERS

An elderly woman leaves a polling station in Stockholm. 19.33 percent of Sweden’s population is aged 65 and above.

Children swim in a river close to the town of Chikuni in Zambia. 46.61 percent of Zambia’s population is aged 14 and under.
. LUSAKA, Zambia. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Children swim in a river close to the town of Chikuni in Zambia. 46.61 percent of Zambia’s population is aged 14 and under.