European Union vs Japan: Population ages 65 and above
European Union
22.4%
in 2025
Japan
30.0%
in 2025
European Union rank
2nd
Japan rank
2nd
Population ages 65 and above over time
- European Union
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 30.0% against 22.4% in European Union, a difference of 7.6%.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.3 times European Union's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was European Union ahead.
European Union ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 2nd of 47 groups.
Across the 7 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 4 and Japan in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.3% | 6.3% | 4.0% | European Union |
| 1970s | 12.2% | 7.9% | 4.3% | European Union |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 10.3% | 2.6% | European Union |
| 1990s | 14.5% | 14.5% | 0.0% | European Union |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 20.1% | 3.4% | Japan |
| 2010s | 19.0% | 26.2% | 7.2% | Japan |
| 2020s | 21.5% | 29.5% | 8.0% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population ages 65 and above, European Union or Japan?
- Japan, at 30.0% against 22.4% in European Union as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population ages 65 and above between European Union and Japan?
- 7.6%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Japan?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do European Union and Japan rank globally for population ages 65 and above?
- European Union ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 2nd of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Population ages 65 and above (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population ages 65 and above as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.