Median age of the population (years)

Median age is the age that splits a population into two equal-sized groups—half the people are younger and half are older. It’s a powerful snapshot of a country’s demographic structure, influencing everything from school and housing needs to labor supply, pensions, healthcare demand, and political priorities.

The figures below are UN Population Division estimates for 2023 from the World Population Prospects 2022. Countries with higher median ages tend to have long life expectancy and sustained low fertility, while lower median ages often reflect high fertility and rapid population growth. Because it summarizes the entire age distribution, median age is often more informative than the share of elderly alone.