Population ages 65 and above in North America
North America: Population ages 65 and above was 18.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population ages 65 and above in North America, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
North America recorded 18.6% for population ages 65 and above in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population ages 65 and above in North America peaked at 18.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1960.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.1% | 8.7% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.1% | 9.5% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.5% | 10.9% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.3% | 12.2% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 12.2% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.0% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.3% | 18.6% | 6 |
More health data for North America
- Population ages 0-14, male 17.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 17.0% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 32.78 million (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 63.3% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female 121.01 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total 64.69 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 31.52 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 38.52 million (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female 20.2% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total 247.51 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population ages 65 and above in North America?
- Population ages 65 and above in North America was 18.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population ages 65 and above recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 18.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population ages 65 and above recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1960.
- Is population ages 65 and above rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population ages 65 and above (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population ages 65 and above as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.