The graph compares changes in the percentage of people aged 65+ in Japan, Sweden and the USA from 1940 to the present day, and gives projections up to 2040. Overall, it indicates that the elderly will make up an increasingly large section of the community.
In 1940, the proportion of people in this age group stood at only 5% in Japan, approximately 7% in Sweden and 9% in the USA. By 1980, this had grown steadily to about 15% in the two western countries, while the figure for Japan had fallen to just 2.5% in 1960 and remained at this low level until the late 1980s. Since then, both Japan and Sweden have seen an overall increase, with the proportion of senior citizens now standing at 9% (Japan), 16% (Sweden) and 18% in the USA.
According to forecasts, despite an initial dip in the figure for Sweden, the proportion of older people is expected to continue to increase in these three countries. A particularly dramatic rise is predicted to occur in Japan during the 2030s. By 2040, it is thought that approximately one quarter of the people in all three countries will be at least 65 years old.