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 131 countries evaluated here, the USA are in 38th place with an average age of 37.4 years, led by Japan with a 45.9 years. Niger has the lowest average age with only 15.0 years.
Median age by country
| Country | Median age in years | Population under 20 years old | Life expectancy in years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 45.9 | 17.4 % | 84.4 |
| Germany | 45.5 | 17.9 % | 81.0 |
| Italy | 44.3 | 18.2 % | 83.5 |
| Bulgaria | 43.0 | 18.7 % | 75.1 |
| Greece | 42.8 | 19.1 % | 81.9 |
| Austria | 42.7 | 19.1 % | 81.8 |
| Croatia | 42.6 | 19.9 % | 78.3 |
| Slovenia | 42.4 | 19.5 % | 81.5 |
| Finland | 42.3 | 21.8 % | 81.8 |
| Portugal | 42.2 | 18.6 % | 81.6 |
| Switzerland | 42.0 | 20.0 % | 83.8 |
| Netherlands | 41.8 | 22.2 % | 81.9 |
| Belgium | 41.6 | 22.7 % | 81.7 |
| Latvia | 41.5 | 19.9 % | 75.3 |
| Spain | 41.4 | 19.3 % | 83.6 |
| Denmark | 41.1 | 22.5 % | 81.0 |
| Sweden | 41.0 | 22.8 % | 82.6 |
| Estonia | 40.9 | 21.1 % | 78.6 |
| Malta | 40.9 | 19.5 % | 82.5 |
| Hungary | 40.6 | 19.3 % | 76.3 |
| France | 40.6 | 24.0 % | 82.9 |
| Czechia | 40.3 | 19.8 % | 79.1 |
| United Kingdom | 40.2 | 23.3 % | 81.3 |
| Cuba | 40.1 | 21.6 % | 78.7 |
| Canada | 40.1 | 21.5 % | 82.0 |
| Ukraine | 39.7 | 20.2 % | 72.1 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.5 | 19.8 % | 77.3 |
| South Korea | 39.4 | 18.8 % | 82.7 |
| Romania | 39.4 | 20.6 % | 75.6 |
| Belarus | 39.3 | 21.6 % | 74.7 |
| Lithuania | 39.3 | 20.0 % | 76.2 |
| Norway | 39.0 | 23.8 % | 82.8 |
| Poland | 38.8 | 19.7 % | 77.8 |
| Serbia | 38.7 | 22.3 % | 76.0 |
| Russia | 38.3 | 22.4 % | 73.1 |
| Singapore | 38.1 | 20.6 % | 83.2 |
| Georgia | 37.6 | 24.9 % | 73.8 |
| United States | 37.4 | 25.3 % | 78.6 |
| China | 37.4 | 23.1 % | 76.7 |
| Australia | 37.2 | 25.1 % | 82.8 |
| Macedonia | 37.1 | 22.5 % | 75.7 |
| New Zealand | 37.0 | 26.2 % | 81.9 |
| Thailand | 36.9 | 23.6 % | 77.1 |
| Iceland | 35.5 | 26.3 % | 82.9 |
| Ireland | 35.3 | 27.7 % | 82.3 |
| Uruguay | 34.4 | 28.2 % | 77.8 |
| North Korea | 33.6 | 27.9 % | 72.1 |
| Chile | 33.1 | 27.2 % | 80.0 |
| Albania | 32.9 | 24.6 % | 78.5 |
| Qatar | 31.7 | 18.3 % | 79.7 |
| Sri Lanka | 31.4 | 31.5 % | 76.9 |
| Argentina | 31.1 | 32.6 % | 76.5 |
| Brazil | 30.3 | 29.3 % | 75.8 |
| Israel | 30.1 | 35.5 % | 82.9 |
| United Arab Emirates | 30.0 | 18.2 % | 77.7 |
| Vietnam | 29.8 | 29.8 % | 75.4 |
| Costa Rica | 29.7 | 29.0 % | 80.1 |
| Kazakhstan | 29.4 | 34.1 % | 73.1 |
| Turkey | 29.4 | 32.9 % | 77.4 |
| Burma | 29.0 | 35.7 % | 66.9 |
| Iran | 28.5 | 30.1 % | 76.5 |
| Panama | 27.9 | 35.6 % | 78.4 |
| Indonesia | 27.8 | 35.7 % | 71.5 |
| Colombia | 27.7 | 31.3 % | 77.1 |
| Saudi Arabia | 27.5 | 31.7 % | 75.0 |
| Malaysia | 27.4 | 32.6 % | 76.1 |
| Morocco | 27.0 | 35.3 % | 76.4 |
| Mexico | 27.0 | 35.2 % | 75.0 |
| Venezuela | 27.0 | 36.0 % | 72.3 |
| Algeria | 26.9 | 36.2 % | 76.7 |
| Peru | 26.5 | 35.6 % | 76.6 |
| India | 26.4 | 36.6 % | 69.4 |
| Ecuador | 26.1 | 37.0 % | 76.9 |
| South Africa | 26.0 | 37.7 % | 64.0 |
| Dominican Republic | 25.8 | 38.1 % | 74.0 |
| Egypt | 25.2 | 41.9 % | 71.9 |
| Bangladesh | 25.1 | 37.6 % | 72.4 |
| Cambodia | 24.4 | 40.3 % | 69.5 |
| Paraguay | 23.9 | 38.7 % | 74.2 |
| Philippines | 23.0 | 41.1 % | 71.2 |
| Pakistan | 22.5 | 44.2 % | 67.1 |
| Bolivia | 22.4 | 41.1 % | 71.3 |
| Nepal | 22.4 | 41.4 % | 70.5 |
| Syria | 22.4 | 47.8 % | 72.1 |
| Haiti | 22.2 | 42.7 % | 63.7 |
| Laos | 21.4 | 42.6 % | 67.6 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 20.6 | 46.0 % | 58.4 |
| Ghana | 20.6 | 48.5 % | 63.8 |
| Mauritania | 19.8 | 49.9 % | 64.7 |
| Iraq | 19.7 | 50.5 % | 70.4 |
| Solomon Islands | 19.7 | 49.2 % | 72.9 |
| Central Africa | 19.7 | 54.5 % | 52.8 |
| Zimbabwe | 19.5 | 51.4 % | 61.1 |
| Guatemala | 19.4 | 45.5 % | 74.1 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 19.2 | 53.6 % | 70.2 |
| Sudan | 19.2 | 51.5 % | 65.1 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 19.1 | 51.6 % | 58.0 |
| Sierra Leone | 19.1 | 52.8 % | 54.3 |
| Yemen | 19.1 | 50.4 % | 66.1 |
| Comoros | 19.1 | 49.9 % | 64.1 |
| Ivory Coast | 19.0 | 53.1 % | 57.5 |
| Togo | 18.9 | 51.8 % | 60.8 |
| Kenya | 18.8 | 51.0 % | 66.3 |
| Congo | 18.8 | 52.2 % | 64.3 |
| Guinea | 18.6 | 52.7 % | 61.1 |
| South Sudan | 18.6 | 52.3 % | 57.6 |
| Liberia | 18.5 | 52.3 % | 63.7 |
| Madagascar | 18.4 | 51.7 % | 66.7 |
| Eritrea | 18.4 | 0.0 % | 66.0 |
| Benin | 18.4 | 53.1 % | 61.5 |
| Cameroon | 18.3 | 53.1 % | 58.9 |
| Ethiopia | 18.2 | 51.7 % | 66.3 |
| Rwanda | 18.2 | 50.3 % | 68.7 |
| Senegal | 18.1 | 53.1 % | 67.6 |
| Nigeria | 17.8 | 54.3 % | 54.3 |
| Burundi | 17.6 | 55.0 % | 61.3 |
| Tanzania | 17.5 | 55.4 % | 65.0 |
| Congo (Dem. Republic) | 17.4 | 56.6 % | 60.4 |
| Mozambique | 17.3 | 55.5 % | 60.1 |
| Malawi | 17.2 | 54.9 % | 63.8 |
| Burkina Faso | 17.1 | 55.9 % | 61.1 |
| Gambia | 17.0 | 56.0 % | 61.8 |
| Timor-Leste | 16.6 | 55.2 % | 69.3 |
| Zambia | 16.6 | 55.8 % | 63.5 |
| Afghanistan | 16.5 | 54.5 % | 64.5 |
| Somalia | 16.3 | 57.3 % | 57.1 |
| Angola | 16.3 | 57.2 % | 60.9 |
| Mali | 16.3 | 58.4 % | 58.9 |
| Uganda | 15.8 | 58.7 % | 62.9 |
| Chad | 15.8 | 58.1 % | 54.0 |
| Niger | 15.0 | 60.8 % | 62.1 |
All information relates to the year 2013.
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, reliably good 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 income the birth rate is remarkably low (cf. Population growth by country) and in poorer countries very high.
In most industrialised 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.