The line graph illustrates the percentage of the population aged 65 and over in three countries over a period of 100 years.
It is clear that every country had an increase in the population of elderly people between 1940 and 2040. However, Japan experienced the most dramatic increase.
In 1940 approximately 9% of Americans were aged 65 and over, while Sweden had about 7% and Japan had 5%. Over the next 50 years, the figures for the USA and Sweden increased at a similar rate. From 2000 onwards, the figures for the USA remained stable for 20 years, while Sweden’s figure rose by around 5% before declining gradually.
While these two countries were rising, the proportion of elderly people in Japan was below 5% from 1940 to 2000. Despite this, the percentage of Japanese aged 65 and over grew by 5% over the next 30 years. Moreover, a sharp increase is predicted, reaching approximately 17% in 2040.
Whereas Japan had the lowest proportion at the beginning of the period, it is projected to have the highest figure by 2050. In contrast to Japan, the USA and Sweden had a slightly lower percentage, which were 23% and 25%.