The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 and over in three countries, namely Japan, Sweden and the USA, between 1940 and 2040, including projections. Overall, the proportion of the elderly population increases significantly throughout the period, albeit to varying degrees. Although the number of Japanese elderly recorded the lowest trend until the mid-period, Japan is expected to see the most dramatic changes in its elderly population.
In 1940, around 9% of Americans were aged 65 and over, which was the highest figure, compared to 7% of the Swedish population and 5% of the Japanese population. In the subsequent decades, the share for Japan fell gradually until the early 2000s to close to 3%, whereas by 1990, that for the USA and Sweden rose considerably, reaching about 15%.
Looking into the future, a sudden rise in the percentage of elderly people is predicted for Japan, with an increase of more than 15 percentage points in just 10 years from 2030 to 2040. By 2040, it is forecast that around 27% of the Japanese population will be aged 65 and over, while the figures for Sweden and the USA will be slightly lower at about 25% and 23%, respectively.