Median Age
Median Age by country
Commentary
Notable countries
Monaco has by far the highest median age at 56.9 years, well ahead of Japan in second place at 48.4. The top 10 is dominated by Europe, with nine entries, while the lowest values are entirely in Africa, ending with Niger at 15.2 years. A notable surprise is that Japan is the only non-European country in the top 10.
Regional trends
Europe stands out as the oldest region, with an average median age of 42.18 years, far above every other continent. North America (31.92), South America (30.22), and Asia (30.11) cluster close to the global mean of 30.32, while Oceania is somewhat younger at 26.44. Africa is by far the youngest region, with an average of 20.97 years.
Data source
The figures come from UN WPP 2019 / CIA WF 2024 and are measured in years. The dataset covers 196 countries. As a caveat, the source combines two datasets, so values may reflect slightly different reference frameworks across countries.
Interpretation
A higher median age means a country’s population is older overall, while a lower median age indicates a much younger population. Since the stated direction is 'higher is better,' older median ages are treated more favorably in this dataset, but this does not by itself capture whether age structure is economically or socially advantageous. Overall, the data show a sharp divide between older European populations and much younger African populations, with most other regions sitting near the global average.