Population aged 65 and over — all countries

Population aged 65 and over — Sub-Saharan Africa

Population aged 65 and over in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025 — 42,719,315 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 499.9%.

2025 42.72M people +3.67% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 42.72M people2025
Period minimum 7.12M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 65 and over — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2025020M40M60M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 7,121,407 people1962: 7,453,838 people1964: 7,823,545 people1966: 8,215,323 people1968: 8,634,841 people1970: 9,091,405 people1972: 9,553,500 people1974: 10,074,839 people1976: 10,644,685 people1978: 11,288,378 people1980: 11,999,972 people1982: 12,735,255 people1984: 13,512,651 people1986: 14,308,715 people1988: 15,154,778 people1990: 15,935,619 people1992: 16,747,355 people1994: 17,577,307 people1996: 18,487,688 people1998: 19,433,628 people2000: 20,432,037 people2002: 21,504,767 people2004: 22,636,347 people2006: 23,822,673 people2008: 25,078,722 people2010: 26,436,258 people2012: 27,972,233 people2014: 29,647,174 people2016: 31,476,846 people2018: 33,637,700 people2020: 36,024,969 people2022: 38,386,328 people2024: 41,205,468 people2025: 42,719,315 people
Change over the period: +35.6M (+499.87%) Average annual rate: 2.79 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 42.72M people
World 855M people
Population aged 65 and over — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 42.72M +1.51M +3.67%
2024 41.21M +1.45M +3.65%
2023 39.76M +1.37M +3.57%
2022 38.39M +1.23M +3.31%
2021 37.16M +1.13M +3.14%
2020 36.02M +1.18M +3.38%
2019 34.85M +1.21M +3.6%
2018 33.64M +1.14M +3.51%
2017 32.5M +1.02M +3.24%
2016 31.48M +940,386 +3.08%
2015 30.54M +889,286 +3%
2014 29.65M +843,920 +2.93%
2013 28.8M +831,021 +2.97%
2012 27.97M +792,137 +2.91%
2011 27.18M +743,838 +2.81%
2010 26.44M +699,195 +2.72%
2009 25.74M +658,341 +2.63%
2008 25.08M +639,457 +2.62%
2007 24.44M +616,592 +2.59%
2006 23.82M +599,270 +2.58%
2005 23.22M +587,056 +2.59%
2004 22.64M +571,768 +2.59%
2003 22.06M +559,812 +2.6%
2002 21.5M +545,720 +2.6%
2001 20.96M +527,010 +2.58%
2000 20.43M +509,083 +2.56%
1999 19.92M +489,326 +2.52%
1998 19.43M +472,759 +2.49%
1997 18.96M +473,181 +2.56%
1996 18.49M +464,841 +2.58%
1995 18.02M +445,540 +2.53%
1994 17.58M +419,166 +2.44%
1993 17.16M +410,786 +2.45%
1992 16.75M +415,319 +2.54%
1991 16.33M +396,417 +2.49%
1990 15.94M +391,781 +2.52%
1989 15.54M +389,060 +2.57%
1988 15.15M +418,345 +2.84%
1987 14.74M +427,718 +2.99%
1986 14.31M +399,209 +2.87%
1985 13.91M +396,855 +2.94%
1984 13.51M +387,196 +2.95%
1983 13.13M +390,200 +3.06%
1982 12.74M +386,876 +3.13%
1981 12.35M +348,407 +2.9%
1980 12M +345,966 +2.97%
1979 11.65M +365,628 +3.24%
1978 11.29M +339,276 +3.1%
1977 10.95M +304,417 +2.86%
1976 10.64M +290,056 +2.8%
1975 10.35M +279,790 +2.78%
1974 10.07M +269,066 +2.74%
1973 9.81M +252,273 +2.64%
1972 9.55M +233,282 +2.5%
1971 9.32M +228,813 +2.52%
1970 9.09M +230,592 +2.6%
1969 8.86M +225,972 +2.62%
1968 8.63M +215,421 +2.56%
1967 8.42M +204,097 +2.48%
1966 8.22M +198,024 +2.47%
1965 8.02M +193,754 +2.48%
1964 7.82M +188,029 +2.46%
1963 7.64M +181,678 +2.44%
1962 7.45M +174,896 +2.4%
1961 7.28M +157,535 +2.21%
1960 7.12M

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.