Healthcare
The Race to Save Lives: Comparing Vaccine Development Timelines
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The Race to Save Lives: Vaccine Development Timelines
View the high-resolution of the infographic by clicking here.
Major advancements in medicine have led to a significant increase in average life expectancy, with vaccines being hailed as one of the most successful interventions to date.
In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have prevented 10 million deaths between 2010 and 2015 alone. But while some were created and distributed in just over four months, others have taken over 40 years to develop. Then again, previous pandemics have petered out without any vaccine at all.
With approved COVID-19 vaccines soon to be distributed across the globe, the vaccine development process is being scrutinized by experts (and non-experts) the world over.
In the graphic above, we explore how long it has historically taken to bring a vaccine to market during pandemics dating back to the 1900s, and what the process entails.
Pandemic Vaccines of the Past
Although the assumption can be made that developing a vaccine for infectious diseases has become more efficient since the 1900s, that statement is not entirely correct.
It took approximately 25 years to develop a vaccine for the Spanish Flu which killed between 40-50 million people. Similarly, it was only last year that the FDA approved the first Ebola vaccineโan effort that took 43 years since the discovery of the virus.
But while scientists and medical experts have made headway in stopping major pandemics in their tracks, some of the worst outbreaks in history have yet to be cured.
Here is a closer look at the timeframes for vaccine development for every pandemic since the turn of the 20th century:
Name of Pandemic | Death Toll | Timeframe for Vaccine Development | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
Spanish flu | 40-50 million | 1917-1942 | 25 years |
H2N2 Asian flu | 1.1 million | Feb 1957-Jun 1957 | <5 months |
H3N2 Hong Kong Flu | 1 million | Jul 1968-Nov 1968 | <5 months |
SARS | 774 (ongoing) | 2003-present | 17 years (ongoing) |
Ebola | 11,300 | 1976-2019 | 43 years |
AIDS | 25-35 million (ongoing) | 1981-present | 39 years (ongoing) |
H1N1 Swine Flu | 151,700 - 575,400 | Apr 2009-Sept 2009 | 6 months |
MERS | 858 (ongoing) | 2012-present | 8 years (ongoing) |
Coronavirus | 1.64 million (ongoing) | Dec 2019-Nov 2020 | 11 months |
When it comes to the speedy development of a COVID-19 vaccine, funding has played a vital role. With case numbers growing at an alarming rate, demand and urgency for a vaccine are high. In the U.S., the government paid Pfizer and BioNTech almost $2 billion for 100 million doses of a safe vaccine for COVID-19. This level of support from governments the world over means that pharmaceutical giants have less financial uncertainties to deal with compared to other vaccines.
Even though the global endeavor to distribute COVID-19 vaccines is now underway, many experts are concerned that the pace of approval could compromise long-term safetyโbut there are rigorous steps a vaccine must first go through before it is approved.
The Journey of a Vaccine Candidate
On average, it takes 10 years to develop a vaccine. According to the CDC, there are six stages involved in the process from start to finish:
- Exploratory stage: This stage typically consists of basic lab research that can last anywhere from 2 to 4 years.
- Pre-clinical stage: This stage uses tissue-culture or cell-culture systems and animal testing to give researchers an idea of how humans might respond to a candidate vaccine.
- Clinical development: Within the clinical development stage, there are three phases. Phase 1 examines the response of a small group of people to a candidate vaccine. Phase 2 involves giving the candidate vaccine to a larger group of people to study its safety, immunogenicity, proposed doses, schedule of immunizations, and method of delivery. In Phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to further test for efficacy and safety.
- Regulatory review and approval: National Regulatory Authorities are responsible for the approval of vaccines in different countries. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationโs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) regulates all U.S. vaccines.
- Manufacturing: Typically, it can take anywhere from 6 to 36 months to produce, package, and deliver a high quality vaccine.
- Quality control: Different batches of a vaccine are continuously tested by different authorities around the world to ensure its ongoing safety.
Despite these lengthy timeframes, the COVID-19 vaccines and subsequent candidates have overturned the conventional process due to their unconventional technology.
Innovative Technologies Driving COVID’s Cure
Even though there are no approved vaccines for other coronaviruses such as MERS and SARS, previous research into these diseases has helped identify potential solutions for COVID-19 using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
โThe mRNA vaccine platform technology [which the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine uses] has been in development for over two decades.โ
โDr Zoltรกn Kis, Imperial College London.
The technology instructs our bodies to produce a small part of the COVID-19 virus called a spike protein. This triggers the immune system to make antibodies to fight against it and prepares the body for an actual COVID-19 infection.
Containing COVID-19 Batch-by-Batch
Deployment of a safe and effective vaccine could have the potential to save millions of lives and prevent infection for many more.
Although some experts have criticized the speed of vaccine candidate approvals, the quality will be closely monitored on a batch-by-batch basis.
With the COVID-19 crisis showing no signs of slowing down, most of us continue to live in hope that the light is at the end of the tunnel.
Countries
Charted: The Worldโs Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
This graphic visualizes the worldโs aging population, showing data for every country and territory around the world.

Charted: The Worldโs Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
As demographics continue to shift in the 21st century, the worldโs aging population will continue to be a focal point for many global decision makers.
Most countries around the world have experienced population explosions, or are about to. Combine this with declining birth rates and falling mortality rates, and it’s clear that the global senior population will continue to reach new heights.
These graphics by Pablo Alvarez use data from the 2022 UN World Population Prospects to visualize this increasing aging population across countries.
The Worldโs Aging Population from 1950 to 2100
In 2022, there were 771 million people aged 65+ years globally, accounting for almost 10% of the world’s population.
This segment has been growing at an increasing rate, and it’s expected to hit 16% in 2050, and eventually 24% by 2100. Here’s what that’s projected to look like, for every country and territory.
Country by Population Aged +65 Years | 1950 | 2022 | 2100 |
---|---|---|---|
๐ฆ๐ซ Afghanistan | 2.85% | 2.39% | 16.03% |
๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania | 6.04% | 16.66% | 49.08% |
๐ฉ๐ฟ Algeria | 3.49% | 6.39% | 28.83% |
๐ฆ๐ธ American Samoa | 2.38% | 7.27% | 45.41% |
๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra | 10.02% | 14.98% | 37.04% |
๐ฆ๐ด Angola | 2.93% | 2.6% | 12.07% |
๐ฆ๐ฎ Anguilla | 3.69% | 10.71% | 37.49% |
๐ฆ๐ฌ Antigua and Barbuda | 4.14% | 10.63% | 35.4% |
๐ฆ๐ท Argentina | 4.13% | 11.92% | 31.79% |
๐ฆ๐ฒ Armenia | 8.17% | 13.15% | 36.13% |
๐ฆ๐ผ Aruba | 1.77% | 16.15% | 36.51% |
๐ฆ๐บ Australia | 8.17% | 16.9% | 31.38% |
๐ฆ๐น Austria | 10.42% | 19.81% | 33.93% |
๐ฆ๐ฟ Azerbaijan | 6.89% | 7.11% | 30.5% |
๐ง๐ธ Bahamas | 4.76% | 8.89% | 29.58% |
๐ง๐ญ Bahrain | 2.88% | 3.76% | 21.89% |
๐ง๐ฉ Bangladesh | 3.9% | 6.04% | 32.56% |
๐ง๐ง Barbados | 5.24% | 16.28% | 33.19% |
๐ง๐พ Belarus | 8.24% | 17.18% | 30.45% |
๐ง๐ช Belgium | 11.03% | 19.73% | 32.83% |
๐ง๐ฟ Belize | 3.57% | 5.09% | 29.21% |
๐ง๐ฏ Benin | 7.85% | 3.06% | 11.03% |
๐ง๐ฒ Bermuda | 5.71% | 20.41% | 37.73% |
๐ง๐น Bhutan | 2.53% | 6.25% | 33.35% |
๐ง๐ด Bolivia | 6.11% | 4.85% | 21.75% |
๐ง๐ถ Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba | 14.22% | 13.84% | 28.94% |
๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.95% | 18.4% | 36.4% |
๐ง๐ผ Botswana | 4.32% | 3.65% | 17.96% |
๐ง๐ท Brazil | 2.39% | 9.88% | 33.52% |
๐ป๐ฌ British Virgin Islands | 8.63% | 9.95% | 32.47% |
๐ง๐ณ Brunei | 4.85% | 6.17% | 30.93% |
๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria | 6.66% | 22.38% | 37.13% |
๐ง๐ซ Burkina Faso | 2.01% | 2.53% | 13.07% |
๐ง๐ฎ Burundi | 3.22% | 2.48% | 13.23% |
๐ฐ๐ญ Cambodia | 2.67% | 5.81% | 26.43% |
๐จ๐ฒ Cameroon | 3.47% | 2.67% | 11.89% |
๐จ๐ฆ Canada | 7.7% | 19.03% | 31.55% |
๐จ๐ป Cape Verde | 3.67% | 5.55% | 32.63% |
๐ฐ๐พ Cayman Islands | 6.05% | 8.17% | 28.75% |
๐จ๐ซ Central African Republic | 5.% | 2.51% | 11.43% |
๐น๐ฉ Chad | 4.33% | 2.01% | 9.64% |
๐จ๐ฑ Chile | 3.3% | 13.03% | 36.61% |
๐จ๐ณ China | 5.04% | 13.72% | 40.93% |
๐จ๐ด Colombia | 3.22% | 9.% | 34.49% |
๐ฐ๐ฒ Comoros | 3.8% | 4.28% | 17.81% |
๐จ๐ฌ Congo | 3.36% | 2.72% | 11.99% |
๐จ๐ฐ Cook Islands | 2.94% | 11.73% | 29.75% |
๐จ๐ท Costa Rica | 2.97% | 10.83% | 36.99% |
๐จ๐ฎ Cote d'Ivoire | 2.21% | 2.4% | 10.86% |
๐ญ๐ท Croatia | 7.82% | 22.36% | 37.03% |
๐จ๐บ Cuba | 4.36% | 15.81% | 36.31% |
๐จ๐ผ Curacao | 5.82% | 14.95% | 30.46% |
๐จ๐พ Cyprus | 5.95% | 14.83% | 33.36% |
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia | 8.29% | 20.64% | 26.94% |
๐จ๐ฉ Democratic Republic of Congo | 3.77% | 2.92% | 10.62% |
๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark | 9.04% | 20.49% | 30.45% |
๐ฉ๐ฏ Djibouti | 1.99% | 4.54% | 19.68% |
๐ฉ๐ฒ Dominica | 7.67% | 9.53% | 34.28% |
๐ฉ๐ด Dominican Republic | 2.72% | 7.4% | 30.47% |
๐ช๐จ Ecuador | 5.2% | 7.83% | 31.97% |
๐ช๐ฌ Egypt | 2.95% | 4.83% | 21.77% |
๐ธ๐ป El Salvador | 3.93% | 8.22% | 36.02% |
๐ฌ๐ถ Equatorial Guinea | 5.53% | 3.12% | 15.13% |
๐ช๐ท Eritrea | 3.2% | 4.01% | 19.86% |
๐ช๐ช Estonia | 10.56% | 20.58% | 34.15% |
๐ธ๐ฟ Eswatini | 2.68% | 4.% | 16.26% |
๐ช๐น Ethiopia | 3.01% | 3.14% | 18.6% |
๐ซ๐ด Faeroe Islands | 7.59% | 17.92% | 26.91% |
๐ซ๐ฐ Falkland Islands | 8.27% | 11.08% | 35.86% |
๐ซ๐ฏ Fiji | 5.99% | 5.9% | 20.6% |
๐ซ๐ฎ Finland | 6.63% | 23.27% | 34.04% |
๐ซ๐ท France | 11.39% | 21.66% | 34.23% |
๐ฌ๐ซ French Guiana | 7.96% | 5.98% | 21.13% |
๐ต๐ซ French Polynesia | 3.% | 10.07% | 37.85% |
๐ฌ๐ฆ Gabon | 7.21% | 3.89% | 16.25% |
๐ฌ๐ฒ Gambia | 2.5% | 2.43% | 16.06% |
๐ฌ๐ช Georgia | 9.35% | 14.61% | 31.19% |
๐ฉ๐ช Germany | 9.46% | 22.41% | 33.72% |
๐ฌ๐ญ Ghana | 4.62% | 3.55% | 15.91% |
๐ฌ๐ฎ Gibraltar | 6.94% | 20.84% | 37.63% |
๐ฌ๐ท Greece | 6.8% | 22.82% | 37.52% |
๐ฌ๐ฑ Greenland | 3.06% | 10.02% | 29.16% |
๐ฌ๐ฉ Grenada | 5.12% | 10.07% | 30.54% |
๐ฌ๐ต Guadeloupe | 5.51% | 20.04% | 34.45% |
๐ฌ๐บ Guam | 1.11% | 11.84% | 31.19% |
๐ฌ๐น Guatemala | 2.31% | 4.91% | 28.05% |
๐ฌ๐ฌ Guernsey | 11.96% | 16.64% | 35.4% |
๐ฌ๐ณ Guinea | 5.39% | 3.32% | 14.% |
๐ฌ๐ผ Guinea-Bissau | 3.45% | 2.82% | 14.34% |
๐ฌ๐พ Guyana | 3.89% | 6.28% | 28.94% |
๐ญ๐น Haiti | 3.64% | 4.54% | 19.07% |
๐ญ๐ณ Honduras | 3.96% | 4.27% | 26.5% |
๐ญ๐ฐ Hong Kong | 2.48% | 20.47% | 41.64% |
๐ญ๐บ Hungary | 7.81% | 20.01% | 31.85% |
๐ฎ๐ธ Iceland | 7.52% | 15.33% | 34.25% |
๐ฎ๐ณ India | 3.1% | 6.9% | 29.81% |
๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia | 1.74% | 6.86% | 25.28% |
๐ฎ๐ท Iran | 5.22% | 7.62% | 33.72% |
๐ฎ๐ถ Iraq | 2.79% | 3.41% | 18.44% |
๐ฎ๐ช Ireland | 10.99% | 15.14% | 32.48% |
๐ฎ๐ฒ Isle of Man | 13.9% | 22.29% | 31.8% |
๐ฎ๐ฑ Israel | 4.% | 12.04% | 25.97% |
๐ฎ๐น Italy | 8.09% | 24.05% | 38.19% |
๐ฏ๐ฒ Jamaica | 3.83% | 7.45% | 44.05% |
๐ฏ๐ต Japan | 4.89% | 29.92% | 38.7% |
๐ฏ๐ช Jersey | 12.34% | 16.22% | 30.52% |
๐ฏ๐ด Jordan | 5.03% | 3.84% | 27.3% |
๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan | 6.47% | 8.04% | 19.58% |
๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | 5.28% | 2.87% | 16.98% |
๐ฐ๐ฎ Kiribati | 7.13% | 3.81% | 17.33% |
๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo | 5.33% | 10.19% | 43.35% |
๐ฐ๐ผ Kuwait | 2.88% | 4.93% | 31.56% |
๐ฐ๐ฌ Kyrgyzstan | 7.91% | 4.54% | 21.08% |
๐ฑ๐ฆ Laos | 2.13% | 4.45% | 25.24% |
๐ฑ๐ป Latvia | 10.12% | 21.86% | 32.86% |
๐ฑ๐ง Lebanon | 7.24% | 9.89% | 32.11% |
๐ฑ๐ธ Lesotho | 6.34% | 4.2% | 13.44% |
๐ฑ๐ท Liberia | 2.97% | 3.31% | 13.88% |
๐ฑ๐พ Libya | 5.21% | 4.86% | 27.77% |
๐ฑ๐ฎ Liechtenstein | 7.89% | 19.37% | 34.79% |
๐ฑ๐น Lithuania | 8.65% | 20.8% | 32.79% |
๐ฑ๐บ Luxembourg | 9.71% | 15.03% | 31.55% |
๐ฒ๐ด Macao | 3.11% | 13.% | 32.39% |
๐ฒ๐ฌ Madagascar | 3.25% | 3.35% | 16.21% |
๐ฒ๐ผ Malawi | 3.06% | 2.61% | 15.61% |
๐ฒ๐พ Malaysia | 4.91% | 7.5% | 30.78% |
๐ฒ๐ป Maldives | 3.14% | 4.78% | 35.61% |
๐ฒ๐ฑ Mali | 2.78% | 2.38% | 11.% |
๐ฒ๐น Malta | 7.42% | 19.13% | 38.26% |
๐ฒ๐ญ Marshall Islands | 5.68% | 4.56% | 17.8% |
๐ฒ๐ถ Martinique | 5.85% | 22.77% | 37.31% |
๐ฒ๐ท Mauritania | 1.44% | 3.22% | 15.03% |
๐ฒ๐บ Mauritius | 3.18% | 12.79% | 33.76% |
๐พ๐น Mayotte | 6.61% | 2.88% | 18.15% |
๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico | 2.99% | 8.32% | 34.88% |
๐ซ๐ฒ Micronesia (country) | 4.11% | 6.16% | 27.59% |
๐ฒ๐ฉ Moldova | 7.56% | 12.98% | 26.36% |
๐ฒ๐จ Monaco | 15.64% | 35.92% | 30.16% |
๐ฒ๐ณ Mongolia | 3.87% | 4.61% | 26.18% |
๐ฒ๐ช Montenegro | 7.85% | 16.55% | 34.16% |
๐ฒ๐ธ Montserrat | 7.92% | 17.7% | 33.05% |
๐ฒ๐ฆ Morocco | 2.86% | 7.72% | 29.97% |
๐ฒ๐ฟ Mozambique | 3.13% | 2.57% | 13.43% |
๐ฒ๐ฒ Myanmar | 3.21% | 6.82% | 23.69% |
๐ณ๐ฆ Namibia | 4.1% | 3.97% | 15.38% |
๐ณ๐ท Nauru | 8.98% | 2.5% | 15.87% |
๐ณ๐ต Nepal | 2.74% | 6.09% | 29.51% |
๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands | 7.76% | 20.31% | 32.89% |
๐ณ๐จ New Caledonia | 5.% | 11.02% | 31.61% |
๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand | 9.09% | 16.31% | 33.2% |
๐ณ๐ฎ Nicaragua | 2.71% | 5.29% | 28.92% |
๐ณ๐ช Niger | .92% | 2.4% | 9.76% |
๐ณ๐ฌ Nigeria | 3.% | 2.97% | 12.31% |
๐ณ๐บ Niue | 4.79% | 15.16% | 22.55% |
๐ฐ๐ต North Korea | 2.72% | 11.71% | 30.49% |
๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia | 5.87% | 14.91% | 36.56% |
๐ฒ๐ต Northern Mariana Islands | 2.95% | 10.81% | 32.09% |
๐ณ๐ด Norway | 9.52% | 18.44% | 31.65% |
๐ด๐ฒ Oman | 3.05% | 2.76% | 23.96% |
๐ต๐ฐ Pakistan | 5.48% | 4.27% | 17.23% |
๐ต๐ผ Palau | 8.59% | 9.93% | 21.48% |
๐ต๐ธ Palestine | 4.77% | 3.53% | 23.44% |
๐ต๐ฆ Panama | 3.57% | 8.77% | 30.03% |
๐ต๐ฌ Papua New Guinea | 1.09% | 3.19% | 16.81% |
๐ต๐พ Paraguay | 3.73% | 6.26% | 26.51% |
๐ต๐ช Peru | 3.43% | 8.41% | 30.33% |
๐ต๐ญ Philippines | 3.56% | 5.44% | 23.38% |
๐ต๐ฑ Poland | 5.22% | 18.55% | 35.69% |
๐ต๐น Portugal | 7.% | 22.9% | 36.28% |
๐ต๐ท Puerto Rico | 3.63% | 22.93% | 48.9% |
๐ถ๐ฆ Qatar | 3.5% | 1.52% | 15.01% |
๐ท๐ช Reunion | 3.81% | 13.28% | 32.4% |
๐ท๐ด Romania | 7.16% | 18.64% | 32.22% |
๐ท๐บ Russia | 4.8% | 15.8% | 27.86% |
๐ท๐ผ Rwanda | 2.76% | 3.2% | 17.36% |
๐ง๐ฑ Saint Barthlemy | 7.3% | 10.61% | 43.89% |
๐ธ๐ญ Saint Helena | 8.63% | 28.66% | 32.61% |
๐ฐ๐ณ Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5.36% | 10.13% | 29.79% |
๐ฑ๐จ Saint Lucia | 3.59% | 9.23% | 33.39% |
๐ฒ๐ซ Saint Martin (French part) | 4.47% | 11.14% | 30.08% |
๐ต๐ฒ Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 6.34% | 17.32% | 33.4% |
๐ป๐จ Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7.71% | 10.86% | 32.34% |
๐ผ๐ธ Samoa | 2.52% | 5.22% | 18.75% |
๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino | 10.15% | 20.47% | 35.73% |
๐ธ๐น Sao Tome and Principe | 3.92% | 3.76% | 15.6% |
๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabia | 3.32% | 2.81% | 30.28% |
๐ธ๐ณ Senegal | 3.42% | 3.14% | 16.54% |
๐ท๐ธ Serbia | 6.15% | 20.56% | 37.55% |
๐ธ๐จ Seychelles | 10.68% | 8.16% | 28.84% |
๐ธ๐ฑ Sierra Leone | 3.02% | 3.14% | 15.52% |
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore | 2.29% | 15.12% | 36.51% |
๐ธ๐ฝ Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 12.03% | 10.57% | 34.51% |
๐ธ๐ฐ Slovakia | 6.63% | 16.98% | 33.4% |
๐ธ๐ฎ Slovenia | 7.52% | 20.96% | 33.59% |
๐ธ๐ง Solomon Islands | 4.03% | 3.47% | 15.29% |
๐ธ๐ด Somalia | 2.6% | 2.57% | 10.75% |
๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | 4.06% | 5.89% | 20.55% |
๐ฐ๐ท South Korea | 2.74% | 17.49% | 44.44% |
๐ธ๐ธ South Sudan | 3.48% | 2.89% | 13.11% |
๐ช๐ธ Spain | 7.23% | 20.27% | 38.72% |
๐ฑ๐ฐ Sri Lanka | 8.76% | 11.54% | 35.73% |
๐ธ๐ฉ Sudan | 3.03% | 3.5% | 13.28% |
๐ธ๐ท Suriname | 4.09% | 7.39% | 25.8% |
๐ธ๐ช Sweden | 10.19% | 20.25% | 31.83% |
๐จ๐ญ Switzerland | 9.49% | 19.31% | 32.61% |
๐ธ๐พ Syria | 7.66% | 4.68% | 24.62% |
๐น๐ผ Taiwan | 2.11% | 16.71% | 37.32% |
๐น๐ฏ Tajikistan | 4.34% | 3.47% | 19.43% |
๐น๐ฟ Tanzania | 2.2% | 3.1% | 14.97% |
๐น๐ญ Thailand | 3.21% | 15.21% | 39.17% |
๐น๐ฑ Timor | 3.14% | 5.21% | 25.42% |
๐น๐ฌ Togo | 4.29% | 3.13% | 11.77% |
๐น๐ฐ Tokelau | 4.7% | 8.66% | 25.03% |
๐น๐ด Tonga | 4.6% | 6.22% | 21.65% |
๐น๐น Trinidad and Tobago | 3.93% | 11.52% | 32.67% |
๐น๐ณ Tunisia | 4.4% | 9.02% | 31.24% |
๐น๐ท Turkey | 3.77% | 8.64% | 33.9% |
๐น๐ฒ Turkmenistan | 5.84% | 5.15% | 21.55% |
๐น๐จ Turks and Caicos Islands | 5.79% | 10.34% | 28.25% |
๐น๐ป Tuvalu | 4.98% | 6.48% | 16.15% |
๐บ๐ฌ Uganda | 2.87% | 1.69% | 14.33% |
๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine | 7.54% | 18.81% | 33.2% |
๐ฆ๐ช United Arab Emirates | 3.35% | 1.83% | 15.77% |
๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom | 10.84% | 19.17% | 32.56% |
๐บ๐ธ United States | 8.18% | 17.13% | 30.47% |
๐ป๐ฎ United States Virgin Islands | 7.54% | 20.42% | 39.11% |
๐บ๐พ Uruguay | 8.23% | 15.58% | 35.98% |
๐บ๐ฟ Uzbekistan | 5.87% | 5.14% | 22.24% |
๐ป๐บ Vanuatu | 5.65% | 3.74% | 16.29% |
๐ป๐ช Venezuela | 2.29% | 8.61% | 27.71% |
๐ป๐ณ Vietnam | 4.13% | 9.12% | 30.02% |
๐ผ๐ซ Wallis and Futuna | 1.76% | 13.47% | 32.98% |
๐ช๐ญ Western Sahara | 2.82% | 5.84% | 23.73% |
๐พ๐ช Yemen | 3.98% | 2.66% | 18.25% |
๐ฟ๐ฒ Zambia | 2.76% | 1.75% | 12.66% |
๐ฟ๐ผ Zimbabwe | 3.18% | 3.32% | 14.22% |
๐ World | 5.13% | 9.82% | 24.03% |
Some of the places with high elderly shares today include high-income countries like Japan (30%), Italy (24%), and Finland (23%).
The lowest shares are concentrated in the Middle East and Africa. Many countries have just 2% of their population aged 65 years and older, such as Qatar, Uganda, and Afghanistan.
But over time, almost all countries are expected to see their older population segments grow. In just three decades, it is estimated that one-in-four European, North American, and Asian residents will be over 65 years of age.
By 2100, a variety of Asian countries and island nations facing low population growth are expected to see more than one-third of their populations aged 65 years or older, including South Korea and Jamaica at 44%. However, it’s actually Albania that’s the biggest outlier overall, with a projected 49% of its population to be aged 65 and older by 2100.
Passing the Generational Torch
The challenge of an aging population is set to impact all sectors of society, including labor and financial markets, demand for housing and transportation, and especially family structures and intergenerational ties.
One way to help grasp the nature of transition is to note the changing ratio between seniors and young children in the world population, as seen in the below crossover diagram:
Dropping fertility rates, in addition to improved child and infant mortality rates, are known to have played a major role in the plateauing population of children.
However, not all countries have witnessed this crossover yet, as it usually coincides with higher levels of economic development.
As countries such as India, Brazil, and South Africa reach higher levels of per capita income, they will be likely to follow down the paths of more advanced economies, eventually experiencing similar demographic fates and challenges.
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