South Korea to become world's most aged country in 2044: data

SEOUL - South Korea is expected to become the world's most aged country in 2044 amid rapid aging, statistical office data showed Monday.

The proportion of South Korean people aged 65 or higher is forecast to account for 36.7 percent of the country's total population in 2044, according to Statistics Korea.

The country will overtake Japan's estimated 36.5 percent in the cited year, becoming the world's most aged nation, according to Yonhap news agency.

The data was based on the 2022 UN population prospects report and the South Korean statistical agency's outlook for the country's population.

The proportion of South Korea's senior citizens is predicted to soar from 17.5 percent in 2022 to 34.4 percent in 2040 and 46.4 percent in 2070.

The corresponding figure for Japan is projected to climb from 29.9 percent in 2022 to 35.2 percent in 2040 and 38.7 percent in 2070.

The proportion of South Korea's working-age population, or those aged 15 to 64, is forecast to decline from 71.0 percent in 2022 to 56.8 percent in 2040 and 46.1 percent in 2070. It peaked at 73.4 percent in 2012.

The corresponding figure for the United States is estimated to slide from 64.9 percent in 2022 to 61.5 percent in 2040 and 57.9 percent in 2070.