Over-65 population surpasses under-5 children for first time globally, US report finds

The global population aged 65 and over has overtaken the number of children under 5 for the first time, according to a new report from the US Census Bureau. The shift reflects declining fertility rates and a historic demographic transition, the bureau said. The report projects that the over-65 population will rise from 852 million in 2025 to 2 billion by 2060, accounting for an estimated 55% of net global population growth. World population is forecast to grow from 8.13 billion to 10.23 billion over the same period. More than 71% of the world's people reside in countries with fertility rates at or below the replacement level of about 2.1 births per woman. The same trend has reached several large countries, including China, India, Bangladesh, Mexico and Vietnam, where fertility has fallen below the replacement level, accelerating aging as smaller generations replace larger ones. Asia is expected to drive much of the increase, with its over-65 population projected to climb from 487 million in 2025 to 1.24 billion by 2060, roughly two-thirds of the global rise. Andrew Scott, a contributor to the report, said the demographic shift could push societies to treat aging as an economic asset rather than a cost.