SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's aged population was expected to reach 46.5 percent of the total population by 2067, the country's statistical office said Monday.
The proportion of those aged 65 or higher was forecast to reach 46.5 percent of the total in 2067, after becoming an aged society in 2017, according to the Statistics Korea.
If realized, South Korea would have the fastest aging population in the world. The aged society indicates a country's elderly population surpassing 14 percent of the total population.
South Korea became an aging society, which has the elderly proportion of more than 7 percent, in 2000. If it tops 20 percent, a county becomes a super-aged society.
South Korea was predicted to be the world's most aged country with the elderly proportion of 37.0 percent in 2045, which would exceed the expected elderly portion of Japan at 36.7 percent, the statistical office said.
The entire world's proportion of the elderly population was forecast to rise from 9.1 percent in 2019 to 18.6 percent in 2067, the office said.
Meanwhile, the proportion of South Korea's working-age population, or those aged 15-64, was expected to tumble to 45.4 percent of the total population in 2067 from 72.7 percent in 2019, after peaking at 73.4 percent in 2012.
The entire world's working-age population was projected to fall from 65.3 percent in 2019 to 61.7 percent in 2067.
The country's total population was expected to peak at 52 million in 2028, before continuing to slide to 39 million in 2067.
The entire world's total population was forecast to surge from 7.71 billion in 2019 to 10.38 billion in 2067.
