The line graph illustrates the proportions of Japan’s population in three age categories including 0-14, 25-64 and 65+ in 1960 and predictions to 2040.
At a first glance, the proportion of people aged 25-64 represented the largest throughout the period, although their proportion expected to decrease over time. In contrast, the percentage of elderly people aged 65 and over is predicted to increase substantially, while the 0-14 age group is forecasted to witness a steady decline.
In 1960, approximately 65% of Japan’s population was aged 25-65, compared with 30% of children between 0-14 and only 5% of people aged 65 and above. The rate of working-age residents experienced fluctuation and reached the highest point around 70% in 1990.
After that, this figure started to decrease and reached about 60% in 2020, whereas it is predicted to decrease slightly to 55% in 2030, and expected to increase approximately 57% in 2040.
Turning to other two groups, the percentage of children stood at 30% in 1960 and rose slightly to 35% in 1970, but this figure fell to around 15% in 2020 and the same figure is expected to witness downfall, reaching 10% by 2040. On the other hand, the elder generation increased marginally from approximately 5% in 1960 to 15% in 1980, before rising sharply to 24% in 2010 and doubled its rate in 2020. Afterwards it is projected to reach 35% by 2040, making the elder generations dominant between three groups.