The proportion of people in South Korea aged 65 years or older could increase sharply amid a rapidly aging population, the country’s statistics agency said.

Statistics Korea forecast that the country’s population is likely to fall to 39 million in 2067, sharply down from 51.7 million in 2019. It said people aged 65 years or older could account for 46.5 percent of the country’s population, which marks a sharp rise from the current 14.9 percent.

In comparison, the world’s population is projected to increase to 10.38 billion in 2067 from the current 7.71 billion in 2019. The portion of the world’s people aged 65 years or older could rise to 18.6 percent in 2067 from 9.1 percent in 2019. (Yonhap)