Population aged 65 and over — all countries

Population aged 65 and over — Southern Africa

Population aged 65 and over in Southern Africa in 2025 — 4,826,095 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 643.6%.

2025 4.83M people +4.04% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 4.83M people2025
Period minimum 649,052 people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 65 and over — Southern Africa, 1960–202502M4M6M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 649,052 people1962: 681,304 people1964: 724,861 people1966: 778,524 people1968: 840,943 people1970: 907,873 people1972: 973,858 people1974: 1,040,472 people1976: 1,109,139 people1978: 1,181,337 people1980: 1,261,961 people1982: 1,366,719 people1984: 1,490,559 people1986: 1,608,660 people1988: 1,712,680 people1990: 1,797,274 people1992: 1,887,903 people1994: 1,984,909 people1996: 2,167,759 people1998: 2,341,161 people2000: 2,467,321 people2002: 2,581,842 people2004: 2,703,885 people2006: 2,826,033 people2008: 2,929,473 people2010: 3,005,284 people2012: 3,089,602 people2014: 3,240,482 people2016: 3,423,674 people2018: 3,690,269 people2020: 4,020,580 people2022: 4,300,414 people2024: 4,638,587 people2025: 4,826,095 people
Change over the period: +4.18M (+643.56%) Average annual rate: 3.13 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Africa 4.83M people
World 855M people
Population aged 65 and over — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 4.83M +187,508 +4.04%
2024 4.64M +176,482 +3.96%
2023 4.46M +161,691 +3.76%
2022 4.3M +140,467 +3.38%
2021 4.16M +139,367 +3.47%
2020 4.02M +165,324 +4.29%
2019 3.86M +164,987 +4.47%
2018 3.69M +149,877 +4.23%
2017 3.54M +116,718 +3.41%
2016 3.42M +94,608 +2.84%
2015 3.33M +88,584 +2.73%
2014 3.24M +78,654 +2.49%
2013 3.16M +72,226 +2.34%
2012 3.09M +49,813 +1.64%
2011 3.04M +34,505 +1.15%
2010 3.01M +34,691 +1.17%
2009 2.97M +41,120 +1.4%
2008 2.93M +50,354 +1.75%
2007 2.88M +53,086 +1.88%
2006 2.83M +58,234 +2.1%
2005 2.77M +63,914 +2.36%
2004 2.7M +62,330 +2.36%
2003 2.64M +59,713 +2.31%
2002 2.58M +57,709 +2.29%
2001 2.52M +56,812 +2.3%
2000 2.47M +59,078 +2.45%
1999 2.41M +67,082 +2.87%
1998 2.34M +77,880 +3.44%
1997 2.26M +95,522 +4.41%
1996 2.17M +94,039 +4.53%
1995 2.07M +88,811 +4.47%
1994 1.98M +57,910 +3.01%
1993 1.93M +39,096 +2.07%
1992 1.89M +51,437 +2.8%
1991 1.84M +39,192 +2.18%
1990 1.8M +39,403 +2.24%
1989 1.76M +45,191 +2.64%
1988 1.71M +50,501 +3.04%
1987 1.66M +53,519 +3.33%
1986 1.61M +55,947 +3.6%
1985 1.55M +62,154 +4.17%
1984 1.49M +64,348 +4.51%
1983 1.43M +59,492 +4.35%
1982 1.37M +54,809 +4.18%
1981 1.31M +49,949 +3.96%
1980 1.26M +42,914 +3.52%
1979 1.22M +37,710 +3.19%
1978 1.18M +36,720 +3.21%
1977 1.14M +35,478 +3.2%
1976 1.11M +34,609 +3.22%
1975 1.07M +34,058 +3.27%
1974 1.04M +33,484 +3.33%
1973 1.01M +33,130 +3.4%
1972 973,858 +32,772 +3.48%
1971 941,086 +33,213 +3.66%
1970 907,873 +33,731 +3.86%
1969 874,142 +33,199 +3.95%
1968 840,943 +32,080 +3.97%
1967 808,863 +30,339 +3.9%
1966 778,524 +28,054 +3.74%
1965 750,470 +25,609 +3.53%
1964 724,861 +23,082 +3.29%
1963 701,779 +20,475 +3.01%
1962 681,304 +17,624 +2.66%
1961 663,680 +14,628 +2.25%
1960 649,052

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.