By 2050, people aged 60 and over will reach 2.1 billion | Global aging as seen by WHO

Aging is often thought of as an issue specific to Japan, but the World Health Organization (WHO) is looking at figures for the entire planet.

A scale of 2.1 billion people

According to WHO estimates, by 2050, the population aged 60 and over is expected to double and reach around 2.1 billion is the forecast. This refers to the time when children born today will be in their mid-20s.

People living with dementia

WHO reports that more than 57 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and that around 10 million people are newly diagnosed each year. Regarding the figure of 57 million as of 2021, more than 60% live in low- and middle-income countries is also shown.

This breakdown matters. It shows that aging and dementia are not issues only for countries with abundant medical resources; rather, they appear more sharply in regions with limited resources.

The view from Japan

Japan is a country that has been at the forefront of this trend. That means it has accumulated experience, while also taking on earlier the challenges that other countries will face later. The gap between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is part of this broader discussion.

What the figure of 2.1 billion tells us is that aging will no longer be an exceptional situation. We are entering a stage where it must be considered not as a response to a special condition, but as part of designing a standard society.

References: World Health Organization (WHO); Japan WHO Association

※This article introduces statistics and system information published by public institutions and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any specific disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a medical institution.

—The Value Village Editorial Team