A recently released report from the US Census Bureau found that, for the first time in human history, the old are on a path to outnumber the young within the next four years.
The report, titled “An Aging World: 2015,” asserts that, while people under 5 will be outnumbered by those over 65 before 2020, the divide will continue to grow, and by 2050, those over 65 will more than double, while the population under 20 will remain stagnant.
“These two age groups will then continue to grow in opposite directions,” according to the report. “By 2050, the proportion of the population 65 and older (15.6%) will be more than double that of children under age 5 (7.2%). This unique demographic phenomenon of the ‘crossing’ is unprecedented.”
Despite the fact that older people are living longer, the average life expectancy globally still remains at 71, while in the United States the average is approximately 80, according to the World Health Organization.
The highest life expectancy worldwide is found in Monaco, where the average is 89.52, followed by Japan with 84.74, and Singapore with 84.68. The United States is not in the top 10.
