Canada vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 40.3 years in Canada and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Canada, by 12.1 years, or 1.43 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

CanadaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Canada has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2023, Canada ranked 50 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Canada at 46.9 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	Canada	South Africa	World
2023	40.3	28.2	30.4
2022	40.3	27.9	30.1
2021	40.1	27.6	29.8
2020	39.9	27.3	29.6
2019	39.8	26.9	29.3
2018	39.8	26.5	29
2017	39.8	26.1	28.8
2016	39.7	25.7	28.5
2015	39.6	25.4	28.3
2014	39.5	25	28.1
2013	39.3	24.7	27.8
2012	39.1	24.3	27.6
2011	38.9	24	27.4
2010	38.7	23.6	27.2
2009	38.5	23.3	27
2008	38.3	23	26.7
2007	38.1	22.7	26.5
2006	37.9	22.4	26.3
2005	37.6	22.1	26.1
2004	37.3	21.9	25.9
2003	36.9	21.6	25.7
2002	36.6	21.3	25.5
2001	36.2	21.1	25.3
2000	35.8	20.8	25.1
1999	35.4	20.6	24.9
1998	35	20.3	24.7
1997	34.5	20.1	24.4
1996	34.1	20.2	24.2
1995	33.7	20.5	24
1994	33.3	20.9	23.8
1993	32.9	20.9	23.5
1992	32.6	20.5	23.3
1991	32.2	20.5	23.1
1990	31.8	20.3	22.9
1989	31.5	20	22.8
1988	31.1	19.8	22.6
1987	30.7	19.7	22.4
1986	30.3	19.5	22.2
1985	29.9	19.4	22
1984	29.6	19.2	21.9
1983	29.2	19	21.8
1982	28.8	18.8	21.7
1981	28.5	18.6	21.6
1980	28.1	18.4	21.5
1979	27.8	18.2	21.3
1978	27.4	18.1	21.1
1977	27.1	18	21
1976	26.7	17.9	20.8
1975	26.4	17.9	20.7
1974	26.1	17.8	20.5
1973	25.7	17.8	20.4
1972	25.4	17.7	20.4
1971	25.2	17.7	20.3
1970	25	17.7	20.3
1969	24.8	17.7	20.3
1968	24.6	17.8	20.4
1967	24.5	17.8	20.5
1966	24.5	17.8	20.6
1965	24.5	17.8	20.8
1964	24.6	17.8	21
1963	24.8	17.8	21.2
1962	25	17.8	21.4
1961	25.3	17.9	21.4
1960	25.5	17.9	21.5
1959	25.6	18	21.5
1958	25.8	18.1	21.5
1957	26	18.3	21.6
1956	26.2	18.4	21.7
1955	26.3	18.6	21.8
1954	26.4	18.7	21.9
1953	26.5	18.9	22
1952	26.6	19	22.1
1951	26.7	19.1	22.1
1950	26.7	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Canada	South Africa	World
2024	40.540.4–40.6	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	40.640.4–40.9	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	40.840.5–41.2	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	41.140.5–41.5	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	41.340.5–41.9	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	41.540.5–42.3	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	41.740.6–42.7	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	41.940.6–43	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	42.140.7–43.4	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	42.340.8–43.8	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	42.640.8–44.2	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	42.840.8–44.6	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	4340.8–45.1	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	43.240.8–45.4	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	43.440.8–45.8	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	43.640.9–46.2	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	43.840.9–46.6	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	4440.9–47	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	44.140.9–47.4	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	44.340.9–47.8	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	44.440.9–48.2	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	44.640.8–48.5	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	44.740.8–48.9	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	44.940.8–49.2	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	44.940.8–49.6	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	4540.9–50	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	45.141–50.3	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	45.241–50.7	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	45.241–51	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	45.341.1–51.4	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	45.441.2–51.7	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	45.541.2–52	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	45.641.4–52.3	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	45.741.4–52.6	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	45.841.5–52.9	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	45.841.6–53.2	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	45.941.7–53.5	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	4641.7–53.8	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	46.141.8–54.1	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	46.141.9–54.5	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	46.242–54.8	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	46.342–55.2	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	46.342.1–55.5	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	46.442.2–55.8	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	46.442.2–56.1	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	46.542.3–56.4	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	46.542.3–56.8	35.231.3–40	39
2071	46.642.4–57	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	46.642.4–57.3	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	46.742.4–57.5	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	46.742.4–57.8	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	46.742.4–58	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	46.742.4–58.2	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	46.842.4–58.3	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	46.842.4–58.5	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	46.842.4–58.7	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	46.842.4–58.9	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	46.842.4–59.1	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	46.842.4–59.4	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	46.842.4–59.6	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	46.842.4–59.8	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	46.842.4–60	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	46.842.4–60.2	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	46.842.5–60.5	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	46.842.5–60.6	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	46.842.6–60.8	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	46.842.6–60.9	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	46.842.7–61	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	46.842.7–61.1	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	46.942.7–61.2	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	46.942.6–61.3	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	46.942.6–61.4	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	46.942.5–61.5	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	46.942.5–61.6	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	46.942.4–61.7	38.134–43.2	42
2099	46.942.4–61.9	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	46.942.3–62.1	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

Canada vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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