The line graph illustrates the percentage of people aged 65 and over in three countries — the USA, Sweden, and Japan — between 1940 and 2040.
Overall, the proportion of elderly people increased in all three countries over the given period. While the USA and Sweden followed a generally steady upward trend, Japan experienced a slight decline at first before rising sharply after 2000, eventually surpassing the other two nations by 2040.
In 1940, the USA had the highest percentage of elderly people at around 9%, followed by Sweden at about 7% and Japan at 5%. Both the USA and Sweden saw gradual increases over the next decades. By 1980, the figures for both nations had risen to approximately 15%, after which they remained relatively stable before continuing to rise again after 2000.
In contrast, Japan’s elderly population declined slightly from 5% to around 3% between 1940 and 1960, and then remained flat until about 1980. However, from 1990 onwards, it began to increase steadily, and after 2020, the rise became much steeper. By 2040, Japan is projected to have the highest proportion of people aged 65 and over, at roughly 27%, compared to about 25% in Sweden and 23% in the USA.