China vs United States: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands)
China
209,726 thousands
in 2025
United States
62,898 thousands
in 2025
China rank
1st
United States rank
3rd
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 209,726 thousands against 62,898 thousands in United States, a difference of 146,828 thousands.
That makes China's figure about 3.3 times United States's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 233 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 35,078 thousands | 22,105 thousands | 12,973 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 49,914 thousands | 27,756 thousands | 22,158 thousands | China |
| 1990s | 71,619 thousands | 32,759 thousands | 38,860 thousands | China |
| 2000s | 100,538 thousands | 35,803 thousands | 64,735 thousands | China |
| 2010s | 137,284 thousands | 45,397 thousands | 91,887 thousands | China |
| 2020s | 193,810 thousands | 57,951 thousands | 135,859 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 United States?
- China, 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 and United States?
- 146,828 thousands, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for population aged 65 years or older?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 3rd of 233 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