China, People's Republic of vs United States: Population aged 65 years or older
China, People's Republic of
209,726 thousands
in 2025
United States
62,898 thousands
in 2025
China, People's Republic of rank
1st
United States rank
3rd
Population aged 65 years or older over time
- China, People's Republic of
- United States
How they compare
China, People's Republic of currently reports 209,726 thousands against 62,898 thousands in United States, a difference of 146,828 thousands.
That makes China, People's Republic of's figure about 3.3 times United States's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, China, People's Republic of has been ahead every year.
China, People's Republic of ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 226 countries.
China, People's Republic of has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China, People's Republic of | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35,078 thousands | 22,105 thousands | 12,973 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
| 1980s | 49,914 thousands | 27,756 thousands | 22,158 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
| 1990s | 71,619 thousands | 32,759 thousands | 38,860 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
| 2000s | 100,538 thousands | 35,803 thousands | 64,735 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
| 2010s | 137,284 thousands | 45,397 thousands | 91,887 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
| 2020s | 193,810 thousands | 57,951 thousands | 135,859 thousands | China, People's Republic of |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 65 years or older, China, People's Republic of or United States?
- China, People's Republic of, at 209,726 thousands against 62,898 thousands in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 65 years or older between China, People's Republic of and United States?
- 146,828 thousands, with China, People's Republic of ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China, People's Republic of and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China, People's Republic of and United States rank globally for population aged 65 years or older?
- China, People's Republic of ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 226 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