Ages 85+ years
85.0M people globally · Rising trend
The fastest-growing age group on earth. As life expectancy rises and populations age, more people than ever are reaching 85 and beyond. At this age, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and frailty-related conditions dominate. The distinction between "dying of" and "dying with" multiple conditions becomes blurred — most deaths involve two or more co-existing diseases.
Deaths / year
14,600,000
Deaths / day
40,000
Deaths / hour
1,667
Deaths / second
0.46
Share of all global deaths
24%
14,600,000 of 62,000,000 total deaths
Death rate
171.8 per 1,000 people per year
Population: 85,000,000
Leading Causes of Death
1
Cardiovascular disease4.8M/yr
2
Alzheimer's & dementia3.5M/yr
3
Chronic respiratory disease1.5M/yr
4
Cancer1.2M/yr
5
Falls & frailty600.0K/yr
Key Facts
The 85+ population has tripled since 1990 and is projected to triple again by 2050
Dementia is the leading cause of death for women over 85 in many high-income countries
The average 85-year-old has 3 or more chronic conditions simultaneously
Despite the high death rate, centenarians (100+) are the fastest-growing demographic group globally
Japan has over 92,000 centenarians — more than any other country
Global trend
Rising
Share of world population
1.0%