Population aged 65 years or older in United States
United States: Population aged 65 years or older was 62,898 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Population aged 65 years or older in United States, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 65 years or older in United States stood at 62,898 thousands. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 36.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in United States peaked at 62,898 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 19,949 thousands, in 1970.
That places United States 3rd out of 230 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22,105 thousands | 19,949 thousands | 24,518 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 27,756 thousands | 25,168 thousands | 30,346 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 32,759 thousands | 30,908 thousands | 34,042 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 35,803 thousands | 34,209 thousands | 38,554 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 45,397 thousands | 39,506 thousands | 52,063 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 57,951 thousands | 53,820 thousands | 62,898 thousands | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.129 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 19.91 million (2100)
- Population density 46.05 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.129 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.63 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 435,333 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.63 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.63 (2024)
- Natural population growth 0.1985 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 1.62 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in United States?
- Population aged 65 years or older in United States was 62,898 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 62,898 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,949 thousands in 1970.
- How does United States rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release