The Median Age of the Population in Every Country
View the full-size version of the infographic by clicking here
With a few notable exceptions, the world is rapidly aging.
Today’s infographic, which was shared by Bill Gates on Reddit, shows this incredible explosion in age and how different countries contrast with one another on this demographic metric.
While aging populations in Europe, North America, and Asia stand out on this type of visualization, it’s also important to look at the negative space. In both South America and Africa, populations are still quite young, with Africa getting younger and younger.
Note: The infographic is grouped based on U.N. regional classifications, and lumps Central America, the Caribbean, and South America as one demographic region.
The Oldest Countries
Which countries are the outliers in terms of global demographics?
Let’s start by taking a look at the oldest countries in terms of median age.
| Rank | Country | Median Age | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Japan | 47 years | Asia |
| #2 (t) | Germany | 45 years | Europe |
| #2 (t) | Italy | 45 years | Europe |
| #4 (t) | Greece | 44 years | Europe |
| #4 (t) | Bulgaria | 44 years | Europe |
| #4 (t) | Portugal | 44 years | Europe |
Japan takes the cake for the oldest population and it’s joined by a host of European nations.
The following countries tied for the #7 spot, which is just off of the above list: Austria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, and Bermuda. All of these places had median ages of 43 years, with Bermuda being the only non-European state of this group.
It’s worth noting that some smaller countries appear to be excluded from Gates’ infographic. As we showed on our last chart covering the subject of median age, which uses a different data set, the small city-state of Monaco (which has a population of just 39,000 people) actually has the highest median age in the world at 53.1 years.
The Youngest Countries
Now, let’s take a peek at the world’s youngest countries in terms of median age.
| Rank | Country | Median Age | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 (t) | Chad | 14 years | Africa |
| #1 (t) | Niger | 14 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | Afghanistan | 16 years | Middle East |
| #3 (t) | Angola | 16 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | Burkina Faso | 16 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | Mali | 16 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | Somalia | 16 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | South Sudan | 16 years | Africa |
| #3 (t) | Uganda | 16 years | Africa |
The youngest countries globally are Chad and Niger with a median population age of 14 years. Both are located in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The only non-African country is war-torn Afghanistan, where the median age is 16 years.
A variety of countries tied with a median age of 17 years old, which puts them just off of the above list. Those countries include: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Yemen, and Timor-Leste.
More Context on Aging
Want to get an even better idea of what the world looks like as it ages?
To get a sense of change over the coming decades, it’s worth taking a look at this animation that shows median age projections with a focus on Western countries all the way until the year 2060.
