China vs Japan: Population aged 65 years or older
China
209,726 thousands
in 2025
Japan
36,894 thousands
in 2025
China rank
1st
Japan rank
4th
Population aged 65 years or older over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 209,726 thousands against 36,894 thousands in Japan, a difference of 172,832 thousands.
That makes China's figure about 5.7 times Japan's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 4th of 230 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35,078 thousands | 8,723 thousands | 26,355 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 49,914 thousands | 12,195 thousands | 37,719 thousands | China |
| 1990s | 71,619 thousands | 17,777 thousands | 53,842 thousands | China |
| 2000s | 100,538 thousands | 25,264 thousands | 75,274 thousands | China |
| 2010s | 137,284 thousands | 33,072 thousands | 104,212 thousands | China |
| 2020s | 194,966 thousands | 36,711 thousands | 158,256 thousands | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 65 years or older, China or Japan?
- China, at 209,726 thousands against 36,894 thousands in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 65 years or older between China and Japan?
- 172,832 thousands, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for population aged 65 years or older?
- China ranks 1st and Japan ranks 4th of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release