How to use the map to see where an indicator is high, where it is low, and whether nearby countries share similar values.
Choose a map when geographic patterns matter.
Maps reveal how an indicator is distributed across countries and regions, making it easy to identify geographic clusters and regional differences.
Here, countries are shaded by Population 65 and Older, with the largest shares of older adults appearing in salmon and the lowest shares appearing in blue. The map makes it easy to see that population aging is not evenly distributed around the world.
This map shows the proportion of the Population 65 and Older for every country in the world.
The pattern is spatial: Many countries in Europe, East Asia, North America, and Oceania have a higher proportion of the population ages 65 and older. In much of sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of the population ages 65 and older is between 2–3%.
Map controls can be used to guide interpretation.
The highlighted range shows where countries with the largest older populations are concentrated.
Here, we focus on a specific range: by selecting the 17–29% category, we highlight countries with the largest shares of people ages 65 and older. This makes the geographic pattern clearer: The highest-aging countries are concentrated mainly in Europe and parts of East Asia, rather than being evenly spread across the world.