Ghana vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 20.9 years in Ghana and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 7.3 years, or 1.35 times that in Ghana.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

GhanaSouth 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, Ghana ranked 181 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Ghana at 37.2 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	Ghana	South Africa	World
2023	20.9	28.2	30.4
2022	20.7	27.9	30.1
2021	20.6	27.6	29.8
2020	20.4	27.3	29.6
2019	20.3	26.9	29.3
2018	20.1	26.5	29
2017	20	26.1	28.8
2016	19.9	25.7	28.5
2015	19.8	25.4	28.3
2014	19.7	25	28.1
2013	19.6	24.7	27.8
2012	19.4	24.3	27.6
2011	19.3	24	27.4
2010	19.2	23.6	27.2
2009	19	23.3	27
2008	18.9	23	26.7
2007	18.7	22.7	26.5
2006	18.5	22.4	26.3
2005	18.3	22.1	26.1
2004	18.1	21.9	25.9
2003	17.9	21.6	25.7
2002	17.7	21.3	25.5
2001	17.5	21.1	25.3
2000	17.3	20.8	25.1
1999	17.2	20.6	24.9
1998	17	20.3	24.7
1997	16.8	20.1	24.4
1996	16.7	20.2	24.2
1995	16.5	20.5	24
1994	16.4	20.9	23.8
1993	16.3	20.9	23.5
1992	16.2	20.5	23.3
1991	16.1	20.5	23.1
1990	16.1	20.3	22.9
1989	16	20	22.8
1988	16	19.8	22.6
1987	16	19.7	22.4
1986	16	19.5	22.2
1985	16	19.4	22
1984	16	19.2	21.9
1983	16	19	21.8
1982	15.8	18.8	21.7
1981	15.7	18.6	21.6
1980	15.6	18.4	21.5
1979	15.4	18.2	21.3
1978	15.2	18.1	21.1
1977	15	18	21
1976	14.9	17.9	20.8
1975	14.8	17.9	20.7
1974	14.8	17.8	20.5
1973	14.7	17.8	20.4
1972	14.7	17.7	20.4
1971	14.8	17.7	20.3
1970	14.9	17.7	20.3
1969	15	17.7	20.3
1968	15	17.8	20.4
1967	15.1	17.8	20.5
1966	15.3	17.8	20.6
1965	15.4	17.8	20.8
1964	15.6	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	17	18	21.5
1958	17.2	18.1	21.5
1957	17.5	18.3	21.6
1956	17.7	18.4	21.7
1955	17.8	18.6	21.8
1954	17.9	18.7	21.9
1953	17.9	18.9	22
1952	17.9	19	22.1
1951	17.8	19.1	22.1
1950	17.7	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Ghana	South Africa	World
2024	21.121.1–21.2	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	21.421.2–21.6	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	21.621.3–21.9	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	21.821.4–22.2	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	2221.5–22.6	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	22.221.6–22.9	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	22.421.7–23.2	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	22.721.8–23.6	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	22.921.9–24	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	23.122–24.3	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	23.322.1–24.7	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	23.622.2–25.1	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	23.822.3–25.5	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	24.122.4–25.8	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	24.322.5–26.2	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	24.622.6–26.6	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	24.822.7–27	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	25.122.8–27.4	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	25.322.8–27.9	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	25.522.9–28.3	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	25.722.9–28.7	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	2622.9–29.1	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	26.223–29.5	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	26.423–29.8	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	26.623.1–30.2	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	26.823.2–30.6	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	2723.3–31	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	27.223.4–31.3	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	27.423.5–31.7	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	27.623.7–32	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	27.823.8–32.4	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	2824–32.7	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	28.224.1–33.1	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	28.424.2–33.4	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	28.624.4–33.8	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	28.824.5–34.1	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	2924.6–34.4	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	29.224.8–34.7	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	29.424.9–35	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	29.625–35.2	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	29.825.2–35.5	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	3025.3–35.7	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	30.225.4–36	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	30.525.5–36.2	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	30.725.6–36.5	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	30.925.7–36.7	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	31.125.8–37	35.231.3–40	39
2071	31.325.9–37.2	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	31.526.1–37.4	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	31.826.2–37.7	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	3226.3–37.9	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	32.226.4–38.1	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	32.426.5–38.3	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	32.626.5–38.5	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	32.826.6–38.7	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	33.126.8–38.9	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	33.326.9–39.1	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	33.527–39.3	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	33.727.1–39.5	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	33.927.2–39.7	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	34.127.3–39.9	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	34.327.4–40.1	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	34.527.5–40.3	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	34.727.7–40.5	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	34.927.8–40.7	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	35.127.9–40.8	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	35.328–41	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	35.528.1–41.2	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	35.728.3–41.3	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	35.928.4–41.4	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	36.128.6–41.6	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	36.328.8–41.7	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	36.528.9–41.8	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	36.729.1–41.9	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	36.829.2–42	38.134–43.2	42
2099	3729.4–42.1	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	37.229.5–42.2	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

Ghana vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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