The average age in global comparison
The average age has risen in almost all countries since the World War II. In 1950, it was 23.9 years worldwide. In 2005, it was 28.1 years.Among the 127 countries evaluated here, the USA are in 50th place with an average age of 38.5 years, led by Japan at 48.6 years. Niger has the lowest average age at only 14.8 years.
Median age by country
| Country | Median age in years | Population under 20 years old | Life in years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 48.6 | 16.3 % | 84.8 |
| Germany | 47.8 | 18.5 % | 81.0 |
| Italy | 46.5 | 17.5 % | 82.5 |
| Hong Kong * | 45.6 | 15.7 % | 85.6 |
| Greece | 45.3 | 19.3 % | 81.2 |
| San Marino | 45.2 | 18.1 % | 85.5 |
| Slovenia | 44.9 | 19.7 % | 80.6 |
| Isle of Man * | 44.6 | 20.1 % | 80.6 |
| Portugal | 44.6 | 18.5 % | 81.2 |
| Austria | 44.5 | 19.2 % | 81.3 |
| Lithuania | 44.5 | 19.7 % | 75.4 |
| Latvia | 44.4 | 20.5 % | 75.8 |
| Croatia | 43.9 | 19.0 % | 77.9 |
| Spain | 43.9 | 19.3 % | 82.5 |
| Bulgaria | 43.7 | 18.6 % | 73.8 |
| Estonia | 43.7 | 21.4 % | 78.7 |
| Liechtenstein | 43.7 | 19.6 % | 81.9 |
| Bermuda * | 43.6 | 20.1 % | 82.3 |
| Hungary | 43.6 | 19.6 % | 75.8 |
| Puerto Rico * | 43.6 | 19.3 % | 78.4 |
| Serbia | 43.4 | 19.4 % | 74.4 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 43.3 | 20.0 % | 76.3 |
| Czechia | 43.3 | 20.7 % | 78.3 |
| South Korea | 43.2 | 16.5 % | 83.5 |
| Finland | 42.8 | 20.9 % | 82.2 |
| Netherlands | 42.8 | 21.3 % | 81.5 |
| Switzerland | 42.7 | 19.9 % | 83.2 |
| Romania | 42.5 | 21.3 % | 74.6 |
| Malta | 42.3 | 17.3 % | 82.6 |
| Cuba | 42.1 | 21.4 % | 77.7 |
| Denmark | 42.0 | 22.0 % | 81.6 |
| Poland | 41.9 | 20.1 % | 76.8 |
| Canada | 41.8 | 21.1 % | 81.8 |
| Slovakia | 41.8 | 20.7 % | 77.0 |
| Virgin Islands * | 41.8 | 24.6 % | 80.1 |
| France | 41.7 | 23.4 % | 82.4 |
| Belgium | 41.6 | 22.3 % | 80.9 |
| Ukraine | 41.2 | 19.9 % | 71.7 |
| Saint Martin * | 41.1 | 22.3 % | 78.1 |
| Sweden | 41.1 | 23.4 % | 82.4 |
| Belarus | 40.9 | 21.8 % | 74.7 |
| Macao * | 40.8 | 18.5 % | 85.3 |
| United Kingdom | 40.6 | 23.2 % | 81.0 |
| Cayman Islands * | 40.5 | 21.0 % | 82.2 |
| Russia | 40.3 | 22.8 % | 71.8 |
| Luxembourg | 39.5 | 21.1 % | 81.8 |
| Norway | 39.5 | 22.8 % | 83.2 |
| Thailand | 39.0 | 21.6 % | 79.4 |
| Georgia | 38.6 | 26.7 % | 73.1 |
| United States | 38.5 | 24.8 % | 77.4 |
| China | 38.4 | 23.2 % | 78.1 |
| United Arab Emirates | 38.4 | 18.4 % | 78.6 |
| Ireland | 37.8 | 26.5 % | 82.3 |
| Australia | 37.5 | 24.2 % | 83.3 |
| New Zealand | 37.2 | 25.1 % | 82.1 |
| Mauritius | 36.3 | 23.9 % | 74.3 |
| Singapore | 35.6 | 16.3 % | 83.7 |
| Chile | 35.5 | 24.8 % | 79.4 |
| North Korea | 34.6 | 25.6 % | 73.3 |
| Albania | 34.3 | 22.8 % | 77.2 |
| Qatar | 33.7 | 18.6 % | 78.9 |
| Sri Lanka | 33.7 | 31.2 % | 76.5 |
| Brazil | 33.2 | 28.0 % | 74.1 |
| Bahrain | 32.9 | 25.7 % | 79.0 |
| Costa Rica | 32.6 | 27.7 % | 79.3 |
| Argentina | 32.4 | 31.0 % | 75.9 |
| Turkey | 32.2 | 30.9 % | 75.9 |
| Vietnam | 31.9 | 29.7 % | 75.4 |
| Iran | 31.7 | 30.3 % | 74.9 |
| Kazakhstan | 31.6 | 36.3 % | 71.5 |
| Colombia | 31.2 | 29.6 % | 74.9 |
| Indonesia | 31.1 | 33.6 % | 68.8 |
| Saudi Arabia | 30.8 | 33.7 % | 76.2 |
| Israel | 30.4 | 36.0 % | 82.8 |
| Venezuela | 30.0 | 37.4 % | 71.3 |
| Mongolia | 29.8 | 39.1 % | 72.3 |
| Mexico | 29.3 | 33.5 % | 70.4 |
| Myanmar | 29.2 | 33.4 % | 66.9 |
| Malaysia | 29.2 | 31.0 % | 76.0 |
| Morocco | 29.1 | 35.0 % | 74.0 |
| Algeria | 28.9 | 37.8 % | 74.5 |
| Ecuador | 28.8 | 34.9 % | 72.4 |
| India | 28.7 | 34.8 % | 70.2 |
| South Africa | 28.0 | 36.6 % | 65.1 |
| Bangladesh | 27.9 | 36.3 % | 72.1 |
| El Salvador | 27.7 | 35.0 % | 71.1 |
| Cambodia | 26.4 | 38.1 % | 70.4 |
| Oman | 26.2 | 32.4 % | 74.7 |
| Bolivia | 25.3 | 40.8 % | 64.7 |
| Nepal | 25.3 | 40.1 % | 69.3 |
| Egypt | 24.1 | 41.9 % | 71.0 |
| Haiti | 24.1 | 42.3 % | 64.2 |
| Philippines | 24.1 | 40.1 % | 72.1 |
| Pakistan | 22.0 | 47.6 % | 66.4 |
| Ghana | 21.4 | 47.4 % | 64.1 |
| Iraq | 21.2 | 48.4 % | 69.1 |
| Zimbabwe | 20.5 | 52.1 % | 61.2 |
| Kenya | 20.0 | 49.7 % | 62.7 |
| Ethiopia | 19.8 | 51.2 % | 65.5 |
| Rwanda | 19.7 | 50.0 % | 66.7 |
| Timor-Leste | 19.6 | 47.2 % | 68.5 |
| Afghanistan | 19.5 | 55.1 % | 62.6 |
| Congo | 19.5 | 51.6 % | 63.8 |
| Senegal | 19.4 | 52.5 % | 68.0 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 19.3 | 51.3 % | 68.0 |
| Guinea | 19.1 | 52.7 % | 59.3 |
| Sierra Leone | 19.1 | 50.3 % | 59.8 |
| Nigeria | 18.6 | 54.0 % | 52.9 |
| South Sudan | 18.6 | 56.9 % | 55.5 |
| Cameroon | 18.5 | 53.1 % | 60.9 |
| Somalia | 18.5 | 58.1 % | 56.0 |
| Sudan | 18.3 | 51.2 % | 65.7 |
| Tanzania | 18.2 | 54.6 % | 66.5 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 18.0 | 51.5 % | 60.0 |
| Liberia | 18.0 | 52.2 % | 60.9 |
| Burkina Faso | 17.9 | 55.0 % | 59.7 |
| Burundi | 17.7 | 56.8 % | 61.6 |
| Benin | 17.0 | 53.0 % | 60.1 |
| Mozambique | 17.0 | 54.6 % | 61.2 |
| Zambia | 16.9 | 54.3 % | 62.4 |
| Malawi | 16.8 | 54.9 % | 63.9 |
| Congo (Dem. Republic) | 16.7 | 56.9 % | 59.8 |
| Chad | 16.1 | 58.4 % | 52.8 |
| Mali | 16.0 | 58.5 % | 58.6 |
| Angola | 15.9 | 55.6 % | 62.3 |
| Uganda | 15.7 | 57.1 % | 62.8 |
| Niger | 14.8 | 59.7 % | 61.4 |
All information relates to the year 2021.
Influences on the average age
Various factors have an influence on the age of a country's population. In economic nations and highly developed countries in particular, reliable nutrition and medical care leads to higher life expectancy and thus to an increase in the age of the population. A higher proportion of women also results in a slight increase, as women generally have a higher life expectancy. However, the birth rate has the greatest influence. In almost all countries with higher incomes, the birth rate is remarkably low (cf. Population growth by country) and very high in poorer countries.In most industrialized countries, for example, the lack of young people is currently causing the average age to rise, while in less developed countries, the age is stagnating or even falling.
* The marked countries are not independent and sovereign states, but dependent territories of other states. Cf. also our article What is a country?
Comparison: Population growth by country
Average life expectancy by country
Comparison of the global population density