The line graph above illustrates the changes in the percentage of the population aged 0-14 and 65 and over in Japan over a 100-year period.
In general, it is apparent that people aged 15-64 contributed the largest proportion among three age groups throughout the period. Meanwhile, the percentage of people aged 65 and over has recorded an upward trend since 1950 and is expected to continue rising until 2050, while that of 0-14 age group will experience a steady decrease.
At the beginning of the period, people aged 15-64 accounted for approximately 60% of the total Japanese population, compared with around 35% for those aged 0 to 14. Meanwhile, this figure for the oldest age group was considerably lower, at around 6%. Over the 50-year period, the proportion of the 15-64 age group gradually increased to 72%, while that of the youngest age group has fell sharply, from 35% (1950) to 20% (2000). Meanwhile, the oldest age group remain unchanged at 6% in the first 25 years before rocketing to 24% over the following 25 years. In 2050, the proportion of people who are in retirement is predicted to rise sharply to around 47%. Meanwhile, two others age group is forcasted to experience a reverse trend, with the population of children aged 0-14 falling from 35% in 2000 to just 10% in 2050, while that of the working-age people declining from 72% in 2000 to 50% in 2050.