Japan has most ageing population

Japan has outpaced Italy as the world’s oldest country, with the elderly population hitting a new high and fewer young people choosing to start families...

Japan has outpaced Italy as the world’s oldest country, with the elderly population hitting a new high and fewer young people choosing to start families, according to census figures released today.

The country’s elderly population rose to 21 per cent in 2005, up 3.7 points from the 2000 census, the Internal Affairs Ministry said.

The rate topped Italy, where the elderly form 20 per cent of the population. The third oldest country was Germany, where the elderly—defined as people aged 65 or older—accounted for 18.8 per cent.

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‘‘Compared with the level in 2000, the aged population rate is rising in the entire nation,’’ the ministry said.

The findings coincided with the start of a two-day meeting in Tokyo of Asian ministers tasked with improving gender equality—seen as a critical issue in encouraging young women to have children.

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