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Peru's Population Aging: Adults Over 60 to Outnumber Children by 2040
🇵🇪 Peru /Culture & Society

Peru's Population Aging: Adults Over 60 to Outnumber Children by 2040

From La República · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Outcome reported
  • Peru's population is aging, with projections showing adults over 60 will outnumber those under 15 by 2040.
  • The shift is driven by declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy, altering the country's demographic structure.
  • Regions in southern Peru, like Moquegua and Puno, show the highest rates of population aging.

Peru is undergoing a significant demographic transformation, with projections indicating that by 2040, the number of individuals aged 60 and over will surpass those under 15 for the first time. This shift, based on data from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) and the 2025 National Censuses, signals a move towards an aging population.

Gaspar Morán Flores, head of the INEI, stated, "We are currently experiencing an aging population. In 2040, the population aged 15 and under will be smaller than the population aged 60 and over." Preliminary census results show the adult population (60+) increased from 11.7% in 2017 to 14.8% in 2025, while the under-15 group decreased from 26.5% to 22.7% during the same period.

The aging trend is further illustrated by the aging index, which measures the number of adults over 60 per 100 children under 15. This index rose from 44 in 2017 to 65 in 2025. Consequently, the average age of Peruvians has also increased, from 32 in 2017 to 34.2 in 2025, a change attributed to lower birth rates and longer life expectancies.

While the working-age population (15-59) remains the largest demographic group at 62.5%, the trend clearly points to a growing proportion of older adults. This aging is more pronounced in southern regions, with Moquegua leading at 87.3 older adults per 100 children, followed by Puno at 86.7. Lima Metropolitana also shows a high index of 82.6.

The primary driver of this demographic change is a declining fertility rate, now at 1.4 children per woman, below the generational replacement level of 2.1. Combined with increased life expectancy, these factors are reshaping Peru's population structure, leading to a growing elderly population and a shrinking child demographic. The latest census also reported Peru's total population at 34,157,732 inhabitants.

We are currently experiencing an aging population. In 2040, the population aged 15 and under will be smaller than the population aged 60 and over.

— Gaspar Morán FloresThe head of the INEI described the demographic shift Peru is facing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La República in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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