Population aged 65 and over — all countries

Population aged 65 and over — China

Population aged 65 and over in China in 2025 — 209,741,958 people. Ranked 1 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 692.8%.

2025 210M people +1.51% vs 2024
World rank 1of 217
Period maximum 210M people2025
Period minimum 25.46M people1962

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 65 and over — China, 1960–20250100M200M300M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 26,455,772 people1962: 25,457,818 people1964: 25,747,105 people1966: 26,711,211 people1968: 28,354,658 people1970: 30,341,588 people1972: 32,530,180 people1974: 34,944,529 people1976: 37,382,123 people1978: 39,957,839 people1980: 43,128,245 people1982: 46,172,001 people1984: 49,236,531 people1986: 52,744,726 people1988: 56,429,800 people1990: 60,677,425 people1992: 64,965,926 people1994: 70,143,458 people1996: 75,793,073 people1998: 82,004,304 people2000: 88,605,807 people2002: 94,770,455 people2004: 100,280,577 people2006: 105,587,761 people2008: 110,679,600 people2010: 115,864,936 people2012: 123,085,063 people2014: 132,606,714 people2016: 145,590,266 people2018: 161,544,776 people2020: 178,436,948 people2022: 194,624,975 people2024: 206,629,972 people2025: 209,741,958 people
Change over the period: +183M (+692.8%) Average annual rate: 3.24 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: China

China 210M people
World 855M people
East Asia & Pacific 333M people
Eastern Asia computed 263M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 333M people
Population aged 65 and over — China, by year China All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 210M +3.11M +1.51%
2024 207M +4.67M +2.31%
2023 202M +7.33M +3.77%
2022 195M +8.11M +4.35%
2021 187M +8.08M +4.53%
2020 178M +8.64M +5.09%
2019 170M +8.25M +5.11%
2018 162M +8.23M +5.37%
2017 153M +7.73M +5.31%
2016 146M +6.87M +4.95%
2015 139M +6.12M +4.61%
2014 133M +5.06M +3.97%
2013 128M +4.46M +3.63%
2012 123M +3.93M +3.29%
2011 119M +3.29M +2.84%
2010 116M +2.73M +2.41%
2009 113M +2.45M +2.22%
2008 111M +2.45M +2.26%
2007 108M +2.64M +2.5%
2006 106M +2.73M +2.65%
2005 103M +2.58M +2.57%
2004 100M +2.62M +2.69%
2003 97.66M +2.89M +3.04%
2002 94.77M +3.03M +3.3%
2001 91.75M +3.14M +3.54%
2000 88.61M +3.24M +3.79%
1999 85.37M +3.36M +4.1%
1998 82M +3.27M +4.15%
1997 78.74M +2.94M +3.89%
1996 75.79M +2.86M +3.92%
1995 72.93M +2.79M +3.97%
1994 70.14M +2.66M +3.94%
1993 67.48M +2.52M +3.88%
1992 64.97M +2.22M +3.53%
1991 62.75M +2.07M +3.41%
1990 60.68M +2.14M +3.66%
1989 58.53M +2.1M +3.73%
1988 56.43M +1.89M +3.47%
1987 54.54M +1.79M +3.4%
1986 52.74M +1.8M +3.54%
1985 50.94M +1.71M +3.46%
1984 49.24M +1.55M +3.24%
1983 47.69M +1.52M +3.29%
1982 46.17M +1.54M +3.45%
1981 44.63M +1.51M +3.49%
1980 43.13M +1.57M +3.77%
1979 41.56M +1.6M +4.02%
1978 39.96M +1.4M +3.64%
1977 38.55M +1.17M +3.13%
1976 37.38M +1.17M +3.23%
1975 36.21M +1.27M +3.63%
1974 34.94M +1.27M +3.78%
1973 33.67M +1.14M +3.51%
1972 32.53M +1.08M +3.44%
1971 31.45M +1.11M +3.65%
1970 30.34M +1.03M +3.5%
1969 29.32M +960,858 +3.39%
1968 28.35M +877,431 +3.19%
1967 27.48M +766,016 +2.87%
1966 26.71M +641,520 +2.46%
1965 26.07M +322,586 +1.25%
1964 25.75M +122,952 +0.48%
1963 25.62M +166,335 +0.65%
1962 25.46M −176,663 −0.69%
1961 25.63M −821,291 −3.1%
1960 26.46M

Eastern Asia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The population aged 65 and over. In absolute numbers this group is growing faster than any other: it expands both from the rise in life expectancy and from the entry of the large cohorts born in the middle of the 20th century. Japan and Italy lead by share of population, China and India by absolute number, and the divergence of the two rankings shows where the load on health care and pensions is larger in scale and where it is sharper.

Important: The threshold of 65 years is an international convention and is not tied to the retirement age of any particular country.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.