Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023

Abstract

In 1950, approximately 128.2 million people were aged 65 and older, just 5.1 per cent of the world’s population. Today, the world has 807.8 million older people, a sixfold increase accounting for 10 per cent of the global population. Since women outlive men by an average of 5.2 years, they comprise a greater share of older persons. In 2023, women made up 55.7 per cent of people aged 65 and above, a share that is highest in Latin America and the Caribbean (56.5 per cent), sub-Saharan Africa (56.6 per cent) and Europe and Northern America (57.4 per cent). By 2050, there will be 1.6 billion persons aged 65 and older, 78.1 per cent of whom will reside in less developed regions.

Women tend to live more of their lives in ill health or with a disability, particularly later in life. Chronic conditions, such as arthritis, osteoporosis and depression, for example, impact quality of life and are experienced at higher rates among older women, as compared to older men. In 2019, a 60-year-old woman was expected to live, on average, 22.7 additional years, including 16.6 years in good health (73.1 per cent). A man of the same age was expected to live, on average, 19.5 additional years, including 14.8 years in good health (75.9 per cent).