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UN DESA Population Division · Median Age of the Population

Median age by country

How old is the typical person in each country?

Of the 222 countries compared in 2023, Vatican City had the highest reading, 59.625, and Central African Republic had the lowest reading, 14.320. In the middle country the figure was 31.518. Among the 222 countries measured in every edition since 1950, the middle one moved from 19.358 to 31.518.

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Part ofPeople & Population

Median age · 2023

Context statistic

Highest of 222Vatican City

59.625

012023 · values only

The highest and the lowest

The three countries with the highest values of 222 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.

  1. 1

    Vatican City

    Southern Europe

    59.625

  2. 2

    Monaco

    Western Europe

    54.356

  3. 3

    Japan

    Eastern Asia

    48.959

Lowest in 2023

  1. Central African Republic14.320
  2. Niger15.250
  3. Chad15.401

This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.

Highest on each continent

02Every measured country

Median age on a map

Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.

All regions

Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.

  • 14.320–20.345
  • 20.434–28.189
  • 28.213–34.791
  • 35.075–40.343
  • 40.535–59.625
  • No reading in 2023
  • Europe

    42.052

    the middle country, of 48 measured · 49 members

    Vatican City59.625

    Kosovo31.430

    Highest and lowest reading in Europe.

  • Americas

    34.150

    the middle country, of 48 measured · 48 members

    Puerto Rico45.306

    Guatemala22.631

    Highest and lowest reading in Americas.

  • Asia

    29.534

    the middle country, of 51 measured · 52 members

    Japan48.959

    Afghanistan16.940

    Highest and lowest reading in Asia.

  • Oceania

    27.666

    the middle country, of 21 measured · 21 members

    Palau37.843

    Samoa19.904

    Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.

  • Africa

    18.504

    the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members

    Mauritius36.933

    Central African Republic14.320

    Highest and lowest reading in Africa.

22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
  • Southern Europe

    43.894

    the middle country, of 17 measured · 17 members

    Vatican City59.625

    Kosovo31.430

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.

  • Western Europe

    42.331

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Monaco54.356

    Luxembourg38.892

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.

  • Eastern Europe

    41.647

    the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members

    Bulgaria44.314

    Moldova37.754

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.

  • Eastern Asia

    41.302

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members

    Japan48.959

    Mongolia26.752

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.

  • Northern Europe

    40.581

    the middle country, of 12 measured · 13 members

    Isle of Man45.676

    Iceland35.808

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.

  • Caribbean

    37.710

    the middle country, of 24 measured · 24 members

    Puerto Rico45.306

    Haiti23.511

    Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.

  • Western Asia

    30.250

    the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members

    Cyprus37.756

    Yemen18.185

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.

  • South-eastern Asia

    29.831

    the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members

    Thailand39.658

    Timor-Leste20.969

    Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.

  • South America

    29.238

    the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members

    Chile35.969

    Bolivia24.664

    Highest and lowest reading in South America.

  • Polynesia

    28.435

    the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members

    Niue36.555

    Samoa19.904

    Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.

  • Southern Asia

    28.060

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Iran32.866

    Afghanistan16.940

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.

  • Northern Africa

    27.692

    the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members

    Tunisia32.127

    Sudan18.276

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.

  • Central America

    26.451

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members

    Costa Rica34.070

    Guatemala22.631

    Highest and lowest reading in Central America.

  • Central Asia

    26.232

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    Kazakhstan29.465

    Tajikistan21.925

    Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.

  • Micronesia

    22.850

    the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members

    Palau37.843

    Nauru20.434

    Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.

  • Melanesia

    22.344

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    New Caledonia33.891

    Vanuatu20.143

    Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.

  • Southern Africa

    21.996

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    South Africa28.213

    Namibia20.957

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.

  • Eastern Africa

    18.310

    the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members

    Mauritius36.933

    Somalia15.447

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.

  • Western Africa

    18.121

    the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members

    Cabo Verde27.870

    Niger15.250

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.

  • Middle Africa

    17.752

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Gabon21.503

    Central African Republic14.320

    Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.

  • Australia and New Zealand

    2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.

    Australia37.751

    New Zealand37.280

    Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.

  • Northern America

    4 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, United States.

    Bermuda45.140

    Greenland34.229

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.

03The whole field at once

The spread

222 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 31.518; a quarter are above 38.902, and a quarter below 22.059. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.

20304050Africa54 comparedMauritius: 36.933Seychelles: 33.653Tunisia: 32.127Morocco: 29.194South Africa: 28.213Algeria: 28.189Cabo Verde: 27.870Libya: 27.196Djibouti: 24.389Egypt: 24.028Botswana: 22.882Eswatini: 21.996Gabon: 21.503Lesotho: 21.427Equatorial Guinea: 20.979Namibia: 20.957Ghana: 20.931Comoros: 20.331Kenya: 19.526Rwanda: 19.440Sierra Leone: 19.270Senegal: 19.129São Tomé and Príncipe: 19.052Guinea-Bissau: 18.943Madagascar: 18.877Ethiopia: 18.733Eritrea: 18.651Liberia: 18.358Republic of the Congo: 18.308Sudan: 18.276Gambia: 18.171Togo: 18.144Côte d’Ivoire: 18.097Guinea: 17.984South Sudan: 17.970Zimbabwe: 17.808Benin: 17.772Nigeria: 17.755Cameroon: 17.752Malawi: 17.580Zambia: 17.490Burkina Faso: 17.254Tanzania: 17.240Mauritania: 17.119Uganda: 16.514Angola: 16.452Mozambique: 16.323Burundi: 15.902DR Congo: 15.768Mali: 15.467Somalia: 15.447Chad: 15.401Niger: 15.250Central African Republic: 14.320Central African Republic 14.320Mauritius 36.933Americas48 comparedPuerto Rico: 45.306Bermuda: 45.140United States Virgin Islands: 44.667Cuba: 41.709Sint Maarten: 41.587Montserrat: 41.546Aruba: 41.020Canada: 40.343Saint Martin: 39.363Barbados: 38.905Turks and Caicos Islands: 38.298Curaçao: 38.231United States: 38.023Anguilla: 38.013Cayman Islands: 37.875British Virgin Islands: 37.546Trinidad and Tobago: 36.718Chile: 35.969Uruguay: 35.779Dominica: 35.618Antigua and Barbuda: 35.486Saint Kitts and Nevis: 35.349Bahamas: 34.597Greenland: 34.229Costa Rica: 34.070Brazil: 33.942Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 33.897Saint Lucia: 33.745Grenada: 33.385Argentina: 32.122Jamaica: 31.673Colombia: 31.606Panama: 29.603Peru: 29.451Venezuela: 29.025Mexico: 28.886Ecuador: 28.407Suriname: 28.100Dominican Republic: 27.653El Salvador: 26.956Paraguay: 26.341Belize: 25.946Guyana: 25.607Nicaragua: 25.267Bolivia: 24.664Honduras: 23.546Haiti: 23.511Guatemala: 22.631Guatemala 22.631Puerto Rico 45.306Asia51 comparedJapan: 48.959Hong Kong: 46.155South Korea: 44.486Taiwan: 43.538Thailand: 39.658China: 39.066Macau: 38.310Cyprus: 37.756Georgia: 36.796North Korea: 36.048Armenia: 35.832Singapore: 35.102Kuwait: 34.499Qatar: 33.189Bahrain: 32.876Iran: 32.866Sri Lanka: 32.812Azerbaijan: 32.596Türkiye: 32.520Vietnam: 32.429Brunei: 31.760United Arab Emirates: 31.232Maldives: 31.124Malaysia: 30.058Indonesia: 29.831Myanmar: 29.534Kazakhstan: 29.465Bhutan: 29.388Oman: 29.268Saudi Arabia: 29.247Israel: 29.150Lebanon: 28.323India: 28.060Uzbekistan: 26.914Mongolia: 26.752Turkmenistan: 26.232Cambodia: 25.844Bangladesh: 25.325Philippines: 25.287Kyrgyzstan: 25.127Nepal: 24.679Laos: 24.284Jordan: 24.279Syria: 22.249Tajikistan: 21.925Timor-Leste: 20.969Iraq: 20.345Pakistan: 20.287Palestine: 19.763Yemen: 18.185Afghanistan: 16.940Afghanistan 16.940Japan 48.959Europe48 comparedVatican City: 59.625Monaco: 54.356Italy: 47.461San Marino: 47.393Portugal: 46.200Greece: 45.747Isle of Man: 45.676Germany: 45.147Bosnia and Herzegovina: 44.915Spain: 44.903Croatia: 44.761Bulgaria: 44.314Liechtenstein: 44.199Slovenia: 43.894Serbia: 43.872Hungary: 43.317Andorra: 43.162Austria: 43.086Latvia: 43.078Finland: 42.789Czechia: 42.716Romania: 42.621Switzerland: 42.331Lithuania: 42.119Ukraine: 41.984Estonia: 41.890France: 41.817Belgium: 41.440Netherlands: 41.396Poland: 41.310Slovakia: 41.302Denmark: 41.249Belarus: 40.535Malta: 40.281North Macedonia: 40.260Sweden: 39.913United Kingdom: 39.782Norway: 39.540Russia: 39.454Montenegro: 39.291Luxembourg: 38.892Gibraltar: 38.882Ireland: 38.416Moldova: 37.754Faroe Islands: 37.258Albania: 36.277Iceland: 35.808Kosovo: 31.430Kosovo 31.430Vatican City 59.625Oceania21 comparedPalau: 37.843Australia: 37.751New Zealand: 37.280Niue: 36.555Northern Mariana Islands: 36.136Cook Islands: 35.075French Polynesia: 34.791New Caledonia: 33.891Guam: 31.120American Samoa: 28.435Fiji: 27.666Tuvalu: 24.286Micronesia: 22.850Kiribati: 22.686Papua New Guinea: 22.344Marshall Islands: 20.699Tonga: 20.695Nauru: 20.434Solomon Islands: 20.251Vanuatu: 20.143Samoa: 19.904Samoa 19.904Palau 37.843middle country 31.518

04All 222 ever measured

Every country

In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better, and the order is by age and nothing more. The oldest readings include very small states whose populations are unusual — a tiny resident population of clergy, or a retirement destination — so the top of the table is not a list of typical ageing societies.

The raw table

Showing 25 of 222 countries

  1. Vatican CitySouthern Europe59.625
  2. MonacoWestern Europe54.356
  3. JapanEastern Asia48.959
  4. ItalySouthern Europe47.461
  5. San MarinoSouthern Europe47.393
  6. PortugalSouthern Europe46.200
  7. Hong KongEastern Asia46.155
  8. GreeceSouthern Europe45.747
  9. Isle of ManNorthern Europe45.676
  10. Puerto RicoCaribbean45.306
  11. GermanyWestern Europe45.147
  12. BermudaNorthern America45.140
  13. Bosnia and HerzegovinaSouthern Europe44.915
  14. SpainSouthern Europe44.903
  15. CroatiaSouthern Europe44.761
  16. United States Virgin IslandsCaribbean44.667
  17. South KoreaEastern Asia44.486
  18. BulgariaEastern Europe44.314
  19. LiechtensteinWestern Europe44.199
  20. SloveniaSouthern Europe43.894
  21. SerbiaSouthern Europe43.872
  22. TaiwanEastern Asia43.538
  23. HungaryEastern Europe43.317
  24. AndorraSouthern Europe43.162
  25. AustriaWestern Europe43.086

Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.

051950–2023 · 74 reference years

Over time

Each point is one year's estimate, 1950 to 2023, as restated by the 2024 revision. The line moves slowly and almost always upwards once birth rates fall; a sharp change usually means migration, which adds or removes working-age adults in large numbers.

2025303540195019601970198019902000201020202023EuropeAmericasAsiaOceaniaAfrica
  • the middle country
  • the middle half of countries
  • the middle of the 222 countries measured every time
  • each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
YearCountriesMiddle countryMiddle halfMeasured every time
202322231.51822.059 – 38.90231.518
202222231.06721.748 – 38.62331.067
202122230.73721.542 – 38.32730.737
202022230.39821.427 – 38.19730.398
201922230.02221.291 – 37.90630.022
201822229.65221.151 – 37.60629.652
201722229.28721.011 – 37.53229.287
201622228.90920.881 – 37.19328.909
201522228.64820.730 – 36.82328.648
201422228.19320.561 – 36.46528.193
201322227.87920.419 – 36.22527.879
201222227.63320.349 – 36.13927.633
201122227.38620.193 – 35.97327.386
201022227.08320.016 – 35.80827.083
200922226.86919.840 – 35.49026.869
200822226.38319.652 – 35.04726.383
200722225.84219.481 – 34.65125.842
200622225.36619.242 – 34.24325.366
200522224.94218.926 – 33.77724.942
200422224.54518.700 – 33.35824.545
200322224.17118.402 – 33.02324.171
200222223.83118.135 – 32.76423.831
200122223.54217.998 – 32.53523.542
200022223.26017.743 – 32.14023.260
199922223.00317.556 – 31.81123.003
199822222.69517.384 – 31.28622.695
199722222.39317.101 – 30.74422.393
199622222.12817.159 – 30.32722.128
199522221.84117.042 – 30.06221.841
199422221.55316.986 – 29.79821.553
199322221.29416.949 – 29.39321.294
199222221.08216.887 – 29.05621.082
199122220.83216.898 – 28.75320.832
199022220.63916.833 – 28.48220.639
198922220.39816.834 – 28.14620.398
198822220.26716.759 – 27.69120.267
198722220.01816.748 – 27.22220.018
198622219.82016.720 – 26.77619.820
198522219.64516.683 – 26.40919.645
198422219.48416.618 – 26.12319.484
198322219.20916.611 – 25.84919.209
198222218.95216.586 – 25.49118.952
198122218.73316.477 – 25.18218.733
198022218.62716.481 – 24.95718.627
197922218.43316.387 – 24.65118.433
197822218.24916.271 – 24.13218.249
197722218.12516.232 – 23.77518.125
197622217.90616.242 – 23.46517.906
197522217.81716.184 – 23.18117.817
197422217.71016.189 – 22.94317.710
197322217.63916.221 – 22.72917.639
197222217.64916.081 – 22.55717.649
197122217.62316.123 – 22.35017.623
197022217.60016.200 – 22.50417.600
196922217.63416.205 – 22.44917.634
196822217.73116.083 – 22.57117.731
196722217.79716.140 – 22.53817.797
196622217.96316.222 – 22.47217.963
196522218.12316.257 – 22.59318.123
196422218.21316.312 – 22.62518.213
196322218.41016.420 – 22.72318.410
196222218.41416.595 – 22.87918.414
196122218.46316.669 – 22.73718.463
196022218.51916.838 – 22.62518.519
195922218.54616.987 – 22.46818.546
195822218.65417.133 – 22.59118.654
195722218.64517.232 – 22.70218.645
195622218.77817.316 – 22.84418.778
195522218.79517.336 – 23.02818.795
195422218.76317.340 – 23.05418.763
195322218.88617.399 – 23.01118.886
195222219.13217.462 – 23.17119.132
195122219.22217.514 – 23.38819.222
195022219.35817.642 – 23.52619.358

062022 → 2023

Who rose and fell

The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.

Rose most

before → after
  1. Bahrain31.683 → 32.876+1.193
  2. Kuwait33.463 → 34.499+1.035
  3. Cook Islands34.109 → 35.075+0.966
  4. Saint Martin38.400 → 39.363+0.962
  5. Northern Mariana Islands35.179 → 36.136+0.957

Fell most

before → after
  1. Monaco54.975 → 54.356−0.619
  2. Lithuania42.633 → 42.119−0.514
  3. Faroe Islands37.539 → 37.258−0.280
  4. Marshall Islands20.965 → 20.699−0.265
  5. Vatican City59.875 → 59.625−0.250

222 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023.

07Across every edition

Median age in records

The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.

08The measure

About median age

The median age is the age that splits a country's population into two equal halves: half the people are younger, half older. It is the simplest single summary of whether a population is young or old, and it shapes almost everything from school places to pensions.

What the number is: Median age (years).

09Where it fits

Connections

Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.

All statistics

In the Country Index

Context, with no vote

This statistic is published in full under People & Population, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.

People & PopulationWhich statistics vote, and why

Moves with

Where median age is higher, these tend to be higher too.

Moves against

Where median age is higher, these tend to be lower.

Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 386 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.

On the same subject

10Keep reading

Explore further

More from UN DESA Population Division

11Questions

Median age: questions and answers

Which country has the highest median age?

Vatican City, at 59.625, among the 222 countries compared in 2023.

Which country has the lowest median age?

Central African Republic, at 14.320, among the 222 countries compared in 2023.

How many countries does the Median Age of the Population cover?

222 in 2023.

What is the world average median age?

This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 222 compared in 2023, the figure was 31.518.

Is this UN DESA Population Division’s own ranking?

No ranking is shown. UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.

How often is the Median Age of the Population published?

This site holds 74 reference years, 1950–2023, all recalculated in UN DESA Population Division’s 2024 report on one method — not 74 separate publications.

Where does the data come from, and can I download it?

From UN DESA Population Division, under CC BY 3.0 IGO. From World Population Prospects 2024, read from the Population Division's own CSV download. Projections are excluded. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.

12Method

Sources, method and citation

Source

Median Age of the Population — UN DESA Population Division

From World Population Prospects 2024, read from the Population Division's own CSV download. Projections are excluded.

Newest edition

Report year 2023Data year 2023

Cite the source as: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024. New York: United Nations.

Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-26.

The full 2023 table, row for row

How this page reads the numbers

  • No rank or position is shown: UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
  • This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
  • A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
  • Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.

The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Median age by country: Median Age of the Population, data from UN DESA Population Division. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/median-age

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