Romania to enter UN list of super-aged societies in 2025
<p>According to the United Nations (UN), in 2025, more than 20% of the population in Romania will be over the age of 65, making the country part of the list of super-aged societies, according to Visual Capitalist data quoted by <a href="https://economedia.ro/infografic-romania-se-alatura-in-2025-tarilor-cu-populatii-super-imbatranite.html">Economedia.ro</a>.</p>
<p>Romania is experiencing fewer and fewer births each year, while the proportion of elderly people continues to grow, causing several economic and social challenges. Importantly, an aging population in a democracy also tends to vote for short-term policies and discourage the long-term planning necessary for prolonged development.</p>
<p>The problem is most visible locally. In many rural communities across Romania, seniors represent almost a quarter of the population.</p>
<p>Nationally, the ratio of retirees to employees was 8 to 10, according to the National Institute of Statistics, weighing down the national budget.</p>
<p>Monaco tops the list of super-aged societies, with 36% of its population over 65 years old, followed by Japan (30%) and the island of Saint-Helena (27.8%). There are 43 countries worldwide in this situation, and Romania ranks 42nd.</p>
<p>According to the latest data from the National Pension House, there were over 4.5 million retirees in Romania in January 2025, of which more than 3.6 million receive an old-age pension, with the majority being women. Additionally, the number of people over 80 years old is rising. As a result, the demand for nursing homes has increased. </p>
<p>“The percentage of the global population aged 65 and above is expected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050. It is projected that by 2050, the number of individuals aged 65 years or above across the world will be twice the number of children under age 5 and almost equivalent to the number of children under 12 years,” a <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ageing">UN report</a> says.</p>
<p>According to estimates, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, and Taiwan will also reach the super-aged population status in 2025, alongside Romania.</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
<p><em>(Photo source: Radub85 | <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>