Overall, there has been a decrease in the proportion of working age people in all four countries examined since 1960, with the most drastic decline being seen in Japan. Despite this, Japan used to reach the highest number among the four nations.
The share of working age employees in Japan started at precisely 65 percent and grew steadily to reach a peak at 70 percent in the 1990s, after which it was predicted to witness a sharp drop to north of 50 percent in 2050. Meanwhile, the figure for Germany peaked at just under 70 percent at the same time as Japan, despite a slight decrease in the first five years, before ending the period at 55 percent.
Turning to France, the share of workers who are in suitable age began at 63 percent, after which it experienced a gradual climb to above 65 percent and remained stable until 2010, followed by a predictable decline to roughly 57 percent in the last year of the period. Similarly, the figure for the United States saw a consistent rise and then levelled off at around 65 percent from 1980 to 2000, but the number was forecast to drop toward the final year.