Ageing and elder care
Life expectancy, health spending and population size, for the countries that will carry the largest old populations.
A population ages when fewer children are born and more people survive to old age. Both of those show up in this dataset, and both decide how large a care burden a country is likely to be carrying in a few decades.
Life expectancy at birth
A higher value means a newborn is expected to live more years. 217 countries report this indicator.
Among the 217 countries reporting life expectancy at birth, the figure runs from 54.6 (Nigeria, 2024) to 86.5 (Monaco, 2024), with a median of 74.7. The middle half of the countries fall between 63.8 and 83.1.
- Lowest reported
- 54.6 years
- Nigeria · 2024
- Median
- 74.7 years
- across 217 countries
- Highest reported
- 86.5 years
- Monaco · 2024
- Middle half
- 63.8 years – 83.1 years
- 10th–90th percentile
Fertility rate
A higher value means more births per woman over a lifetime. 217 countries report this indicator.
Among the 217 countries reporting fertility rate, the figure runs from 0.58 (Macao SAR, China, 2024) to 6.03 (Chad, 2024), with a median of 1.90. The middle half of the countries fall between 1.24 and 4.12.
- Lowest reported
- 0.58
- Macao SAR, China · 2024
- Median
- 1.90
- across 217 countries
- Highest reported
- 6.03
- Chad · 2024
- Middle half
- 1.24 – 4.12
- 10th–90th percentile
Government health spending
A higher value means a larger share of national output goes to health. 193 countries report this indicator.
Among the 193 countries reporting government health spending, the figure runs from 1.3% (Lao PDR, 2023) to 27.1% (Tuvalu, 2023), with a median of 6.4%. The middle half of the countries fall between 3.2% and 10.7%.
- Lowest reported
- 1.3%
- Lao PDR · 2023
- Median
- 6.4%
- across 193 countries
- Highest reported
- 27.1%
- Tuvalu · 2023
- Middle half
- 3.2% – 10.7%
- 10th–90th percentile
Where is the population ageing fastest?
Each row is one country, with the year its figure was observed. The regions are the World Bank's own groupings.
East Asia & Pacific (37)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 73.0 years (2024) | 2.27 (2024) | |
| Australia | 83.1 years (2024) | 1.48 (2024) | 10.4% (2023) |
| Brunei Darussalam | 75.5 years (2024) | 1.73 (2024) | 2.2% (2023) |
| Cambodia | 70.8 years (2024) | 2.55 (2024) | 4.6% (2023) |
| China | 78.0 years (2024) | 1.01 (2024) | 5.9% (2023) |
| Fiji | 67.5 years (2024) | 2.27 (2024) | 3.6% (2023) |
| French Polynesia | 84.2 years (2024) | 1.49 (2024) | |
| Guam | 77.4 years (2024) | 2.75 (2024) | |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 85.4 years (2024) | 0.84 (2024) | |
| Indonesia | 71.3 years (2024) | 2.12 (2024) | 2.7% (2023) |
| Japan | 84.0 years (2024) | 1.15 (2024) | 10.7% (2023) |
| Kiribati | 66.6 years (2024) | 3.12 (2024) | 10.9% (2023) |
| Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 73.7 years (2024) | 1.78 (2024) | |
| Korea, Rep. | 83.6 years (2024) | 0.75 (2024) | 8.7% (2024) |
| Lao PDR | 69.2 years (2024) | 2.40 (2024) | 1.3% (2023) |
| Macao SAR, China | 83.3 years (2024) | 0.58 (2024) | |
| Malaysia | 76.8 years (2024) | 1.54 (2024) | 4.0% (2023) |
| Marshall Islands | 67.1 years (2024) | 2.86 (2024) | 13.4% (2023) |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 67.4 years (2024) | 2.74 (2024) | 12.9% (2023) |
| Mongolia | 72.4 years (2024) | 2.50 (2024) | 6.1% (2023) |
| Myanmar | 67.1 years (2024) | 2.10 (2024) | 4.5% (2023) |
| Naoero | 62.3 years (2024) | 3.29 (2024) | 18.2% (2023) |
| New Caledonia | 78.9 years (2024) | 1.96 (2024) | |
| New Zealand | 82.0 years (2024) | 1.57 (2024) | 10.1% (2024) |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 78.9 years (2024) | 2.32 (2024) | |
| Palau | 69.4 years (2024) | 1.88 (2024) | 10.9% (2023) |
| Papua New Guinea | 66.3 years (2024) | 3.07 (2024) | 2.9% (2023) |
| Philippines | 69.9 years (2024) | 1.89 (2024) | 5.1% (2023) |
| Samoa | 71.8 years (2024) | 3.80 (2024) | 6.8% (2023) |
| Singapore | 83.3 years (2024) | 0.97 (2024) | 4.5% (2023) |
| Solomon Islands | 70.7 years (2024) | 3.51 (2024) | 5.4% (2023) |
| Thailand | 76.6 years (2024) | 1.20 (2024) | 4.5% (2023) |
| Timor-Leste | 67.9 years (2024) | 2.63 (2024) | 9.6% (2023) |
| Tonga | 73.1 years (2024) | 3.10 (2024) | 7.4% (2023) |
| Tuvalu | 67.3 years (2024) | 3.17 (2024) | 27.1% (2023) |
| Vanuatu | 71.7 years (2024) | 3.57 (2024) | 4.1% (2023) |
| Viet Nam | 74.7 years (2024) | 1.90 (2024) | 4.6% (2023) |
Europe & Central Asia (58)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 79.8 years (2024) | 1.34 (2024) | 7.1% (2023) |
| Andorra | 84.2 years (2024) | 1.09 (2024) | 7.7% (2023) |
| Armenia | 78.3 years (2024) | 1.70 (2024) | 9.3% (2023) |
| Austria | 82.0 years (2024) | 1.31 (2024) | 11.8% (2024) |
| Azerbaijan | 74.6 years (2024) | 1.43 (2024) | 4.3% (2023) |
| Belarus | 74.4 years (2024) | 1.22 (2024) | 7.1% (2023) |
| Belgium | 82.3 years (2024) | 1.44 (2024) | 10.8% (2023) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 78.0 years (2024) | 1.49 (2024) | 8.9% (2023) |
| Bulgaria | 75.8 years (2024) | 1.72 (2024) | 7.9% (2023) |
| Channel Islands | 81.2 years (2024) | 1.37 (2024) | |
| Croatia | 78.9 years (2024) | 1.46 (2024) | 7.1% (2023) |
| Cyprus | 81.8 years (2024) | 1.38 (2024) | 8.1% (2023) |
| Czechia | 80.0 years (2024) | 1.36 (2024) | 8.5% (2024) |
| Denmark | 82.3 years (2024) | 1.47 (2024) | 9.4% (2024) |
| Estonia | 79.3 years (2024) | 1.18 (2024) | 7.8% (2024) |
| Faroe Islands | 83.1 years (2024) | 1.91 (2024) | |
| Finland | 82.3 years (2024) | 1.25 (2024) | 10.5% (2023) |
| France | 83.0 years (2024) | 1.61 (2024) | 11.5% (2024) |
| Georgia | 74.7 years (2024) | 1.80 (2024) | 6.9% (2023) |
| Germany | 80.8 years (2024) | 1.36 (2024) | 12.3% (2024) |
| Gibraltar | 83.6 years (2024) | 1.89 (2024) | |
| Greece | 81.8 years (2024) | 1.24 (2024) | 8.4% (2023) |
| Greenland | 70.3 years (2024) | 1.71 (2024) | |
| Hungary | 76.7 years (2024) | 1.41 (2024) | 6.4% (2023) |
| Iceland | 82.8 years (2024) | 1.56 (2024) | 9.0% (2024) |
| Ireland | 83.0 years (2024) | 1.47 (2024) | 6.9% (2024) |
| Isle of Man | 81.1 years (2024) | 1.54 (2024) | |
| Italy | 84.0 years (2024) | 1.18 (2024) | 8.4% (2024) |
| Kazakhstan | 74.5 years (2024) | 2.98 (2024) | 3.8% (2023) |
| Kosovo | 78.2 years (2024) | 1.54 (2024) | |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 72.4 years (2024) | 2.60 (2024) | 4.5% (2023) |
| Latvia | 76.4 years (2024) | 1.24 (2024) | 7.3% (2023) |
| Liechtenstein | 84.2 years (2024) | 1.37 (2024) | 5.7% (2023) |
| Lithuania | 77.2 years (2024) | 1.11 (2024) | 7.6% (2024) |
| Luxembourg | 83.2 years (2024) | 1.25 (2024) | 5.9% (2024) |
| Moldova | 71.3 years (2024) | 1.73 (2024) | 6.7% (2023) |
| Monaco | 86.5 years (2024) | 2.10 (2024) | 3.1% (2023) |
| Montenegro | 77.9 years (2024) | 1.80 (2024) | 9.7% (2023) |
| Netherlands | 82.0 years (2024) | 1.43 (2024) | 10.0% (2024) |
| North Macedonia | 76.6 years (2024) | 1.40 (2024) | 7.4% (2023) |
| Norway | 83.2 years (2024) | 1.45 (2024) | 9.4% (2023) |
| Poland | 78.4 years (2024) | 1.14 (2024) | 8.1% (2024) |
| Portugal | 82.4 years (2024) | 1.41 (2024) | 10.2% (2024) |
| Romania | 76.5 years (2024) | 1.39 (2024) | 5.7% (2023) |
| Russian Federation | 73.4 years (2024) | 1.42 (2024) | 7.0% (2023) |
| San Marino | 85.8 years (2024) | 1.16 (2024) | 6.6% (2023) |
| Serbia | 76.0 years (2024) | 1.64 (2024) | 8.0% (2023) |
| Slovak Republic | 78.4 years (2024) | 1.46 (2024) | 7.4% (2023) |
| Slovenia | 82.3 years (2024) | 1.52 (2024) | 9.9% (2024) |
| Spain | 83.9 years (2024) | 1.10 (2024) | 9.2% (2023) |
| Sweden | 84.1 years (2024) | 1.43 (2024) | 11.2% (2024) |
| Switzerland | 84.4 years (2024) | 1.29 (2024) | 11.7% (2023) |
| Tajikistan | 71.9 years (2024) | 3.04 (2024) | 7.4% (2023) |
| Turkiye | 77.4 years (2024) | 1.48 (2024) | 4.3% (2023) |
| Turkmenistan | 70.2 years (2024) | 2.66 (2024) | 5.5% (2023) |
| Ukraine | 74.7 years (2024) | 0.99 (2024) | 8.2% (2021) |
| United Kingdom | 81.4 years (2024) | 1.55 (2024) | 11.1% (2024) |
| Uzbekistan | 72.5 years (2024) | 3.49 (2024) | 6.7% (2023) |
Latin America & Caribbean (42)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | 77.8 years (2024) | 1.58 (2024) | 3.9% (2023) |
| Argentina | 77.5 years (2024) | 1.50 (2024) | 10.3% (2023) |
| Aruba | 76.5 years (2024) | 1.61 (2024) | |
| Bahamas, The | 74.7 years (2024) | 1.37 (2024) | 6.3% (2023) |
| Barbados | 76.3 years (2024) | 1.71 (2024) | 5.4% (2023) |
| Belize | 73.7 years (2024) | 2.02 (2024) | 4.1% (2023) |
| Bolivia | 68.7 years (2024) | 2.52 (2024) | 6.9% (2023) |
| Brazil | 76.0 years (2024) | 1.61 (2024) | 9.7% (2023) |
| British Virgin Islands | 77.4 years (2024) | 1.05 (2024) | |
| Cayman Islands | 80.5 years (2024) | 1.52 (2024) | |
| Chile | 81.4 years (2024) | 1.14 (2024) | 10.5% (2024) |
| Colombia | 77.9 years (2024) | 1.63 (2024) | 8.1% (2024) |
| Costa Rica | 81.0 years (2024) | 1.32 (2024) | 6.9% (2023) |
| Cuba | 78.3 years (2024) | 1.45 (2024) | 9.4% (2023) |
| Curacao | 77.0 years (2024) | 1.40 (2024) | |
| Dominica | 71.3 years (2024) | 1.48 (2024) | 5.0% (2023) |
| Dominican Republic | 73.9 years (2024) | 2.22 (2024) | 4.6% (2023) |
| Ecuador | 77.6 years (2024) | 1.81 (2024) | 7.6% (2023) |
| El Salvador | 72.3 years (2024) | 1.77 (2024) | 9.3% (2023) |
| Grenada | 75.4 years (2024) | 1.47 (2024) | 4.7% (2023) |
| Guatemala | 72.7 years (2024) | 2.29 (2024) | 6.8% (2023) |
| Guyana | 70.3 years (2024) | 2.40 (2024) | 2.5% (2023) |
| Haiti | 65.1 years (2024) | 2.63 (2024) | 3.2% (2023) |
| Honduras | 73.0 years (2024) | 2.48 (2024) | 7.7% (2023) |
| Jamaica | 71.6 years (2024) | 1.35 (2024) | 7.6% (2023) |
| Mexico | 75.3 years (2024) | 1.89 (2024) | 5.5% (2023) |
| Nicaragua | 75.1 years (2024) | 2.21 (2024) | 8.3% (2023) |
| Panama | 79.8 years (2024) | 2.11 (2024) | 8.3% (2023) |
| Paraguay | 74.0 years (2024) | 2.42 (2024) | 8.4% (2023) |
| Peru | 77.9 years (2024) | 1.97 (2024) | 5.6% (2023) |
| Puerto Rico (US) | 81.9 years (2024) | 0.92 (2024) | |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 76.5 years (2024) | 1.44 (2024) | |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 72.3 years (2024) | 1.53 (2024) | 5.7% (2023) |
| St. Lucia | 72.8 years (2024) | 1.39 (2024) | 4.7% (2023) |
| St. Martin (French part) | 80.4 years (2024) | 2.67 (2024) | |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 71.4 years (2024) | 1.76 (2024) | 4.4% (2023) |
| Suriname | 73.8 years (2024) | 2.23 (2024) | 5.4% (2023) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 73.6 years (2024) | 1.54 (2024) | 7.5% (2023) |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 78.2 years (2024) | 1.45 (2024) | |
| Uruguay | 78.3 years (2024) | 1.40 (2024) | 9.0% (2023) |
| Venezuela, RB | 72.7 years (2024) | 2.08 (2024) | 3.8% (2023) |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 80.8 years (2024) | 1.97 (2024) |
North America (3)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | 82.5 years (2024) | 1.41 (2024) | |
| Canada | 82.1 years (2024) | 1.25 (2024) | 11.3% (2024) |
| United States | 78.9 years (2024) | 1.63 (2024) | 16.7% (2023) |
South Asia (6)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 74.9 years (2024) | 2.14 (2024) | 2.2% (2023) |
| Bhutan | 73.3 years (2024) | 1.45 (2024) | 4.4% (2023) |
| India | 72.2 years (2024) | 1.96 (2024) | 3.3% (2023) |
| Maldives | 81.3 years (2024) | 1.56 (2024) | 9.2% (2023) |
| Nepal | 70.6 years (2024) | 1.96 (2024) | 6.2% (2023) |
| Sri Lanka | 77.7 years (2024) | 1.95 (2024) | 3.7% (2023) |
Sub-Saharan Africa (48)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | 64.8 years (2024) | 5.05 (2024) | 2.5% (2023) |
| Benin | 61.0 years (2024) | 4.48 (2024) | 3.3% (2023) |
| Botswana | 69.3 years (2024) | 2.70 (2024) | 6.3% (2023) |
| Burkina Faso | 61.3 years (2024) | 4.11 (2024) | 7.8% (2023) |
| Burundi | 63.8 years (2024) | 4.79 (2024) | 9.1% (2023) |
| Cabo Verde | 76.2 years (2024) | 1.51 (2024) | 5.8% (2023) |
| Cameroon | 64.0 years (2024) | 4.26 (2024) | 4.6% (2023) |
| Central African Republic | 57.7 years (2024) | 5.95 (2024) | 10.7% (2023) |
| Chad | 55.2 years (2024) | 6.03 (2024) | 5.0% (2023) |
| Comoros | 67.0 years (2024) | 3.82 (2024) | 6.6% (2023) |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | 62.1 years (2024) | 5.98 (2024) | 3.7% (2023) |
| Congo, Rep. | 66.0 years (2024) | 4.11 (2024) | 3.3% (2023) |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 62.1 years (2024) | 4.23 (2024) | 3.4% (2023) |
| Equatorial Guinea | 63.9 years (2024) | 4.12 (2024) | 3.5% (2023) |
| Eritrea | 68.9 years (2024) | 3.68 (2024) | 3.7% (2023) |
| Eswatini | 64.3 years (2024) | 2.72 (2024) | 7.5% (2023) |
| Ethiopia | 67.6 years (2024) | 3.91 (2024) | 2.8% (2023) |
| Gabon | 68.5 years (2024) | 3.59 (2024) | 3.1% (2023) |
| Gambia, The | 66.1 years (2024) | 3.91 (2024) | 2.9% (2023) |
| Ghana | 65.7 years (2024) | 3.34 (2024) | 2.9% (2023) |
| Guinea | 60.9 years (2024) | 4.13 (2024) | 3.7% (2023) |
| Guinea-Bissau | 64.3 years (2024) | 3.76 (2024) | 8.8% (2023) |
| Kenya | 63.8 years (2024) | 3.17 (2024) | 4.4% (2023) |
| Lesotho | 57.8 years (2024) | 2.66 (2024) | 12.6% (2023) |
| Liberia | 62.3 years (2024) | 3.86 (2024) | 13.0% (2023) |
| Madagascar | 63.8 years (2024) | 3.91 (2024) | 3.4% (2023) |
| Malawi | 67.6 years (2024) | 3.59 (2024) | 6.5% (2023) |
| Mali | 60.7 years (2024) | 5.51 (2024) | 3.8% (2023) |
| Mauritania | 68.7 years (2024) | 4.63 (2024) | 4.3% (2023) |
| Mauritius | 73.8 years (2024) | 1.44 (2024) | 5.6% (2023) |
| Mozambique | 63.8 years (2024) | 4.69 (2024) | 8.5% (2023) |
| Namibia | 67.5 years (2024) | 3.21 (2024) | 9.5% (2023) |
| Niger | 61.4 years (2024) | 5.93 (2024) | 4.0% (2023) |
| Nigeria | 54.6 years (2024) | 4.38 (2024) | 4.2% (2023) |
| Rwanda | 68.0 years (2024) | 3.65 (2024) | 5.1% (2023) |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 69.9 years (2024) | 3.60 (2024) | 5.8% (2023) |
| Senegal | 68.9 years (2024) | 3.77 (2024) | 4.3% (2023) |
| Seychelles | 76.3 years (2024) | 1.85 (2024) | 4.5% (2023) |
| Sierra Leone | 62.0 years (2024) | 3.70 (2024) | 4.7% (2023) |
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 59.0 years (2024) | 6.01 (2024) | 3.7% (2023) |
| South Africa | 66.3 years (2024) | 2.21 (2024) | 8.9% (2023) |
| South Sudan | 57.7 years (2024) | 3.79 (2024) | 11.6% (2023) |
| Sudan | 66.5 years (2024) | 4.26 (2024) | 2.9% (2023) |
| Tanzania | 67.2 years (2024) | 4.54 (2024) | 3.1% (2023) |
| Togo | 62.9 years (2024) | 4.12 (2024) | 6.1% (2023) |
| Uganda | 68.5 years (2024) | 4.17 (2024) | 4.2% (2023) |
| Zambia | 66.5 years (2024) | 4.04 (2024) | 6.0% (2023) |
| Zimbabwe | 63.1 years (2024) | 3.67 (2024) | 2.9% (2023) |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (23)
| Country | Life expectancy at birth | Fertility rate | Government health spending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 66.3 years (2024) | 4.76 (2024) | 15.0% (2023) |
| Algeria | 76.5 years (2024) | 2.72 (2024) | 4.4% (2023) |
| Bahrain | 81.4 years (2024) | 1.80 (2024) | 4.0% (2023) |
| Djibouti | 66.2 years (2024) | 2.62 (2024) | 2.3% (2023) |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 71.8 years (2024) | 2.73 (2024) | 4.9% (2023) |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | 77.9 years (2024) | 1.68 (2024) | 6.0% (2023) |
| Iraq | 72.4 years (2024) | 3.22 (2024) | 5.5% (2023) |
| Israel | 83.2 years (2024) | 2.87 (2024) | 7.1% (2023) |
| Jordan | 78.0 years (2024) | 2.60 (2024) | 7.7% (2023) |
| Kuwait | 84.6 years (2024) | 1.56 (2024) | 5.0% (2023) |
| Lebanon | 77.9 years (2024) | 2.23 (2024) | 5.6% (2023) |
| Libya | 71.1 years (2024) | 2.30 (2024) | 7.8% (2023) |
| Malta | 83.0 years (2024) | 1.01 (2024) | 8.8% (2023) |
| Morocco | 75.5 years (2024) | 2.21 (2024) | 6.1% (2023) |
| Oman | 80.2 years (2024) | 2.51 (2024) | 3.5% (2023) |
| Pakistan | 67.8 years (2024) | 3.55 (2024) | 2.5% (2023) |
| Qatar | 82.5 years (2024) | 1.72 (2024) | 2.5% (2023) |
| Saudi Arabia | 79.0 years (2024) | 2.31 (2024) | 5.7% (2023) |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 72.6 years (2024) | 2.70 (2024) | 2.7% (2023) |
| Tunisia | 76.7 years (2024) | 1.82 (2024) | 8.0% (2023) |
| United Arab Emirates | 83.1 years (2024) | 1.21 (2024) | 5.0% (2023) |
| West Bank and Gaza | 69.2 years (2024) | 3.25 (2024) | 10.7% (2023) |
| Yemen, Rep. | 69.4 years (2024) | 4.50 (2024) | 9.7% (2023) |
About these figures
Every number on this page comes from the World Bank Open Data, with the year it was observed attached. World Bank data is released under CC BY 4.0 Retrieved 2026-11-01.
This page describes the shape of the data. It does not rank countries against each other, and it says nothing about the people who live in them — a low figure is a fact about conditions and about what the source reports, not a verdict on a population. Our editorial standard.
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