The graph shows the increase in the ageing population in Japan, Sweden and the USA.
It indicates that the percentage of elderly people in all three countries is expected to
increase to almost 25% of the respective populations by the year 2040.
In 1940 the proportion of people aged 65 or more stood at only 5% in Japan, approximately
7% in Sweden and 9% in the US. However, while the figures for the Western countries grew
to about 15% in around 1990, the figure for Japan dipped to only 2.5% for much of this
period, before rising to almost 5% again at the present time.
In spite of some fluctuation in the expected percentages, the proportion of older people
will probably continue to increase in the next two decades in the three countries. A more
dramatic rise is predicted between 2030 and 2040 in Japan, by which time it is thought
that the proportion of elderly people will be similar in the three countries.