Ethiopia vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 18.7 years in Ethiopia and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 9.5 years, or 1.51 times that in Ethiopia.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

EthiopiaSouth 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, Ethiopia ranked 199 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ethiopia at 36.6 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	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2023	18.7	28.2	30.4
2022	18.5	27.9	30.1
2021	18.3	27.6	29.8
2020	18.1	27.3	29.6
2019	17.9	26.9	29.3
2018	17.7	26.5	29
2017	17.5	26.1	28.8
2016	17.3	25.7	28.5
2015	17	25.4	28.3
2014	16.8	25	28.1
2013	16.5	24.7	27.8
2012	16.3	24.3	27.6
2011	16	24	27.4
2010	15.8	23.6	27.2
2009	15.6	23.3	27
2008	15.4	23	26.7
2007	15.3	22.7	26.5
2006	15.2	22.4	26.3
2005	15.1	22.1	26.1
2004	15.1	21.9	25.9
2003	15	21.6	25.7
2002	15	21.3	25.5
2001	15	21.1	25.3
2000	15.1	20.8	25.1
1999	15.2	20.6	24.9
1998	15.3	20.3	24.7
1997	15.4	20.1	24.4
1996	15.5	20.2	24.2
1995	15.5	20.5	24
1994	15.6	20.9	23.8
1993	15.7	20.9	23.5
1992	15.8	20.5	23.3
1991	15.8	20.5	23.1
1990	15.8	20.3	22.9
1989	15.8	20	22.8
1988	15.9	19.8	22.6
1987	15.9	19.7	22.4
1986	15.8	19.5	22.2
1985	15.8	19.4	22
1984	15.7	19.2	21.9
1983	15.6	19	21.8
1982	15.6	18.8	21.7
1981	15.7	18.6	21.6
1980	15.7	18.4	21.5
1979	15.8	18.2	21.3
1978	15.8	18.1	21.1
1977	15.9	18	21
1976	16	17.9	20.8
1975	16.2	17.9	20.7
1974	16.3	17.8	20.5
1973	16.5	17.8	20.4
1972	16.7	17.7	20.4
1971	16.8	17.7	20.3
1970	17	17.7	20.3
1969	17.2	17.7	20.3
1968	17.4	17.8	20.4
1967	17.5	17.8	20.5
1966	17.5	17.8	20.6
1965	17.5	17.8	20.8
1964	17.6	17.8	21
1963	17.6	17.8	21.2
1962	17.6	17.8	21.4
1961	17.5	17.9	21.4
1960	17.5	17.9	21.5
1959	17.5	18	21.5
1958	17.5	18.1	21.5
1957	17.4	18.3	21.6
1956	17.4	18.4	21.7
1955	17.3	18.6	21.8
1954	17.3	18.7	21.9
1953	17.2	18.9	22
1952	17.2	19	22.1
1951	17.1	19.1	22.1
1950	17	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ethiopia	South Africa	World
2024	18.918.9–18.9	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	19.119.1–19.2	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	19.319.2–19.4	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	19.619.4–19.7	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	19.819.5–20	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	2019.6–20.3	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	20.219.7–20.7	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	20.419.7–21	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	20.619.8–21.3	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	20.719.8–21.6	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	20.919.9–22	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	21.119.9–22.3	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	21.319.9–22.7	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	21.520–23	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	21.720–23.3	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	21.920.1–23.7	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	22.120.2–24	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	22.320.3–24.3	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	22.620.4–24.7	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	22.820.6–25.1	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	23.120.7–25.4	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	23.320.8–25.8	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	23.620.9–26.2	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	23.821.1–26.6	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	24.121.3–26.9	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	24.421.5–27.3	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	24.621.7–27.7	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	24.921.9–28.1	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	25.122.1–28.5	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	25.422.3–28.9	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	25.622.5–29.2	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	25.922.7–29.6	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	26.222.9–29.9	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	26.423–30.2	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	26.723.2–30.5	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	26.923.4–30.8	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	27.223.5–31	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	27.423.7–31.3	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	27.723.8–31.6	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	27.924–31.8	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	28.224.2–32.1	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	28.424.3–32.3	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	28.724.4–32.6	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	28.924.6–32.8	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	29.224.7–33	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	29.424.8–33.2	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	29.624.9–33.4	35.231.3–40	39
2071	29.925.1–33.6	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	30.125.2–33.8	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	30.425.4–34	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	30.625.6–34.2	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	30.925.7–34.4	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	31.125.8–34.6	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	31.426–34.8	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	31.626.2–34.9	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	31.826.3–35.1	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	32.126.5–35.3	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	32.326.6–35.4	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	32.626.8–35.6	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	32.827–35.8	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	3327.1–36	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	33.327.3–36.2	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	33.527.5–36.4	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	33.727.7–36.6	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	3427.9–36.7	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	34.228–36.9	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	34.428.2–37	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	34.728.4–37.2	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	34.928.6–37.4	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	35.128.8–37.5	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	35.328.9–37.7	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	35.629.1–37.8	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	35.829.3–37.9	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	3629.5–38	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	36.229.7–38.1	38.134–43.2	42
2099	36.429.9–38.1	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	36.630–38.2	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

Ethiopia vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsEthiopia: 102,900 deaths in 2022South Africa: 0 deaths in 2022