The number of people aged 65 and over around the world is expected to more than double by 2050 as the world’s senior population continues to rocket, a U.S. study said.

The global population is aging at an unprecedented rate, with 8.5 percent of people worldwide -- or more than 600 million -- now aged 65 and over, said the U.S. Census Bureau report.

If the trend continues, nearly 17 percent of the global population, or 1.6 billion people, will be 65 years old and above by 2050.

The global population of people aged 80 and above is expected to more than triple between 2015 and 2050, from 126.5 million to 446.6 million.
(Graphic: Nam Kyung-don)