Botswana vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 22.9 years in Botswana and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 5.3 years, or 1.23 times that in Botswana.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

BotswanaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Botswana ranked 168 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Botswana at 41.3 years and South Africa at 38.3 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 30.4 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	Botswana	South Africa	World
2023	22.9	28.2	30.4
2022	22.6	27.9	30.1
2021	22.4	27.6	29.8
2020	22.3	27.3	29.6
2019	22.1	26.9	29.3
2018	21.9	26.5	29
2017	21.8	26.1	28.8
2016	21.7	25.7	28.5
2015	21.7	25.4	28.3
2014	21.7	25	28.1
2013	21.7	24.7	27.8
2012	21.8	24.3	27.6
2011	21.7	24	27.4
2010	21.5	23.6	27.2
2009	21.2	23.3	27
2008	21	23	26.7
2007	20.7	22.7	26.5
2006	20.4	22.4	26.3
2005	20.1	22.1	26.1
2004	19.8	21.9	25.9
2003	19.6	21.6	25.7
2002	19.3	21.3	25.5
2001	19	21.1	25.3
2000	18.7	20.8	25.1
1999	18.4	20.6	24.9
1998	18	20.3	24.7
1997	17.7	20.1	24.4
1996	17.4	20.2	24.2
1995	17.2	20.5	24
1994	16.9	20.9	23.8
1993	16.7	20.9	23.5
1992	16.5	20.5	23.3
1991	16.3	20.5	23.1
1990	16.1	20.3	22.9
1989	16	20	22.8
1988	15.9	19.8	22.6
1987	15.8	19.7	22.4
1986	15.8	19.5	22.2
1985	15.7	19.4	22
1984	15.7	19.2	21.9
1983	15.7	19	21.8
1982	15.7	18.8	21.7
1981	15.7	18.6	21.6
1980	15.8	18.4	21.5
1979	15.8	18.2	21.3
1978	15.5	18.1	21.1
1977	15.3	18	21
1976	15.1	17.9	20.8
1975	14.9	17.9	20.7
1974	14.8	17.8	20.5
1973	14.6	17.8	20.4
1972	14.4	17.7	20.4
1971	14.3	17.7	20.3
1970	14.4	17.7	20.3
1969	14.5	17.7	20.3
1968	14.6	17.8	20.4
1967	14.8	17.8	20.5
1966	15	17.8	20.6
1965	15.2	17.8	20.8
1964	15.5	17.8	21
1963	15.8	17.8	21.2
1962	16.1	17.8	21.4
1961	16.4	17.9	21.4
1960	16.7	17.9	21.5
1959	16.9	18	21.5
1958	17.2	18.1	21.5
1957	17.3	18.3	21.6
1956	17.5	18.4	21.7
1955	17.6	18.6	21.8
1954	17.7	18.7	21.9
1953	17.8	18.9	22
1952	17.8	19	22.1
1951	17.9	19.1	22.1
1950	17.9	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Botswana	South Africa	World
2024	23.223.1–23.2	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	23.523.3–23.6	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	23.723.5–24	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	2423.7–24.3	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	24.324–24.7	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	24.624.2–25.1	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	24.924.4–25.5	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	25.224.7–25.8	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	25.524.9–26.2	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	25.725.2–26.6	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	2625.4–27	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	26.325.6–27.3	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	26.625.8–27.7	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	26.826–28	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	27.126.2–28.4	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	27.426.4–28.7	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	27.626.6–29.1	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	27.926.8–29.5	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	28.127–29.9	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	28.427.1–30.3	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	28.727.3–30.7	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	28.927.5–31.1	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	29.227.8–31.4	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	29.528–31.8	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	29.728.2–32.2	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	3028.4–32.6	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	30.328.6–33	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	30.628.8–33.4	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	30.929.1–33.8	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	31.229.2–34.1	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	31.629.4–34.5	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	31.929.7–34.9	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	32.229.9–35.3	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	32.530.1–35.8	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	32.830.3–36.4	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	33.130.6–36.9	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	33.430.8–37.4	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	33.731–38	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	3431.2–38.5	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	34.331.4–39.1	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	34.531.5–39.6	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	34.831.7–40.1	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	35.132–40.5	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	35.332.2–41	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	35.632.5–41.4	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	35.832.7–41.8	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	3632.9–42.1	35.231.3–40	39
2071	36.333.1–42.4	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	36.533.3–42.7	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	36.733.4–43	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	36.933.6–43.4	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	37.133.7–43.6	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	37.233.9–43.8	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	37.434.1–43.9	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	37.634.2–44.1	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	37.734.3–44.4	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	37.934.4–44.6	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	3834.6–44.7	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	38.234.8–44.7	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	38.434.9–44.7	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	38.535.1–44.6	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	38.735.2–44.6	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	38.935.4–44.7	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	3935.6–44.8	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	39.235.8–44.8	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	39.335.9–44.9	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	39.536–45.3	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	39.736.1–45.7	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	39.936.2–46.1	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	40.136.3–46.5	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	40.336.5–46.9	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	40.436.6–47.3	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	40.636.7–47.6	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	40.836.9–48	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	4137.1–48.4	38.134–43.2	42
2099	41.137.2–48.8	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	41.337.4–49.1	38.334.1–43.4	42.1

Each country on its own

Good to know

Half the people are older than this age and half are younger.
Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Botswana vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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