The line graph shows the percentage of Japan’s population in three age groups between 1960 and 2040.
Overall, the population structure changed greatly over the period. The proportion of elderly people increased steadily and is expected to become the largest group by 2040. In contrast, the percentage of children fell significantly, while the working-age population stayed fairly stable for many years before declining slightly towards the end.
In 1960, people aged 15 to 64 made up about 65% of the population, compared with around 30% for children and only 5% for those aged 65 and over. The figure for the working-age group remained close to 65-70% until around 2000, after which it gradually fell to about 60% in 2020. It is predicted to decrease a little further to roughly 59% by 2040.
Meanwhile, the percentage of children started at approximately 30% and, despite a few small changes in the early years, followed a clear downward trend. By 2020, it had dropped to around 15%, and it is expected to fall further to about 10% by the end of the period.
By contrast, the proportion of elderly people rose continuously throughout the period. Starting at just 5% in 1960, it increased to nearly 30% in 2020 and is forecast to reach about 35% by 2040.