The graph compares the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over in Japan, Sweden, and the USA from 1940 to 2040. Overall, there is an upward trend in the percentage of elderly people in all three countries; furthermore, the most striking feature is that Japan is expected to see the most dramatic increase, surpassing the other two countries by 2040.
In 1940, the number of old people ranked first in the USA (9%), followed by Sweden at approximately 7%, and Japan with 5% at the lowest. The figures for the Western countries rose to about 15% in 1990; meanwhile, the US line shows a steady, slow increase from 1990 to 2020, and it is also expected that the ageing population in this country will increase sharply, nearly a quarter of the total by 2040. In Sweden, although there have been some fluctuations in the elderly population from 1990 to the present, it is expected that the older population will grow at a similar rate to that of the USA in the coming decades.
In contrast, Japan’s figure dropped to just under 5% before 1990 but returned to the initial amount in 2005. Currently, this figure has risen to just below 10%, and it is expected to soar toward the end of the period.