Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - June 23, 2009
Figures cited by the bureau said the number of seniors, at 516 million in 2009, is expected to grow to 1.53 billion by 2050.
In contrast, the under-15 population is expected to grow only by 6 percent during that time period, from 1.83 billion to 1.93 billion.
The U.S. 65-and-older population is expected to more than double by 2050, from 39 million to 89 million, the bureau said.
Children are projected to still outnumber seniors worldwide in 2050, but the under-15 population is expected to drop below the 65-and-old level in the United States. The under-15 U.S. group is expected to increase from 62 million now to 85 million by 2050.
The figures come from the bureau's international database, which includes projections by age, including people 100 and older, for 227 countries and areas.
The world's 85-and-older population is expected to increase more than fivefold, from 40 million to 219 million by 2050. Women generally live longer than men, and they account for a little more than half of the older population and represent nearly two-thirds of the 85-and-older population, the bureau said.
The bureau projected that Europe would continue to be the oldest region in the world, with 29 percent of its total population 65 and older by 2050.
Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to stay the youngest region because of higher fertility and, in some nations, the impact of HIV and AIDS. Only 5 percent of Africa's population is expected to be 65 and older in 2050.
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