Six of the ten countries with the lowest share of older populations are in Africa

  • Qatar has the lowest share of seniors, with only 1.7% of its population aged 65+.
  • The UAE follows closely at 1.8%.
  • Zambia has 2.0% of its population aged 65 and above, totalling about 438,000 people.
  • Uganda, Chad, and the Central African Republic each have a senior population of around 2.1–2.2%, with totals exceeding 1 million seniors.
  • Qatar also has the smallest absolute number of seniors on the list—just 53,000 people.
  • Nigeria has 7.3 million seniors that represent only 3.1% of its population, ranking 25th worldwide.

The share of seniors in national populations remains very small in certain countries, especially in Africa. Qatar and the UAE have the world’s lowest proportion of older adults (65+ years), at 1.7% and 1.8% respectively. African nations dominate this list, with countries such as Zambia, Chad, Uganda, and Burundi showing similarly low shares of elderly populations. This reflects youthful demographics, high fertility rates, and in some cases, lower life expectancy compared to other regions.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has a relatively low share of older people as well, at 3.1% (7.3 million seniors), ranking 25th globally. Despite having one of the largest absolute numbers of seniors in Africa, its proportion of elderly people remains small due to its massive overall population.

Source:

UN Population Division

Period:

2025
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