India vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 28.1 years in India and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.2 years, or 1.01 times that in India.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

IndiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2011.
In 2023, India ranked 142 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts India at 47.8 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	India	South Africa	World
2023	28.1	28.2	30.4
2022	27.7	27.9	30.1
2021	27.4	27.6	29.8
2020	27	27.3	29.6
2019	26.7	26.9	29.3
2018	26.3	26.5	29
2017	26	26.1	28.8
2016	25.6	25.7	28.5
2015	25.3	25.4	28.3
2014	24.9	25	28.1
2013	24.6	24.7	27.8
2012	24.3	24.3	27.6
2011	24	24	27.4
2010	23.6	23.6	27.2
2009	23.3	23.3	27
2008	23.1	23	26.7
2007	22.8	22.7	26.5
2006	22.5	22.4	26.3
2005	22.2	22.1	26.1
2004	22	21.9	25.9
2003	21.8	21.6	25.7
2002	21.6	21.3	25.5
2001	21.4	21.1	25.3
2000	21.2	20.8	25.1
1999	21	20.6	24.9
1998	20.8	20.3	24.7
1997	20.7	20.1	24.4
1996	20.5	20.2	24.2
1995	20.3	20.5	24
1994	20.2	20.9	23.8
1993	20.1	20.9	23.5
1992	19.9	20.5	23.3
1991	19.8	20.5	23.1
1990	19.7	20.3	22.9
1989	19.6	20	22.8
1988	19.5	19.8	22.6
1987	19.4	19.7	22.4
1986	19.3	19.5	22.2
1985	19.3	19.4	22
1984	19.2	19.2	21.9
1983	19.1	19	21.8
1982	19	18.8	21.7
1981	19	18.6	21.6
1980	18.9	18.4	21.5
1979	18.8	18.2	21.3
1978	18.7	18.1	21.1
1977	18.6	18	21
1976	18.5	17.9	20.8
1975	18.4	17.9	20.7
1974	18.3	17.8	20.5
1973	18.2	17.8	20.4
1972	18.2	17.7	20.4
1971	18.1	17.7	20.3
1970	18.1	17.7	20.3
1969	18.1	17.7	20.3
1968	18.1	17.8	20.4
1967	18.2	17.8	20.5
1966	18.3	17.8	20.6
1965	18.5	17.8	20.8
1964	18.6	17.8	21
1963	18.8	17.8	21.2
1962	18.9	17.8	21.4
1961	19.1	17.9	21.4
1960	19.2	17.9	21.5
1959	19.4	18	21.5
1958	19.4	18.1	21.5
1957	19.5	18.3	21.6
1956	19.6	18.4	21.7
1955	19.7	18.6	21.8
1954	19.8	18.7	21.9
1953	19.9	18.9	22
1952	19.9	19	22.1
1951	20	19.1	22.1
1950	20	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	India	South Africa	World
2024	28.428.4–28.5	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	28.828.7–29	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	29.229–29.5	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	29.629.3–29.9	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	3029.6–30.4	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	30.429.8–30.9	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	30.830.1–31.4	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	31.230.4–32	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	31.530.7–32.5	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	31.931–33	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	32.331.3–33.5	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	32.731.6–34	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	33.131.9–34.5	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	33.532.2–35	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	33.932.4–35.5	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	34.332.7–36	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	34.733–36.5	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	35.133.2–37	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	35.433.5–37.5	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	35.833.8–38	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	36.234–38.4	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	36.534.3–38.9	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	36.934.5–39.3	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	37.234.8–39.8	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	37.635–40.2	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	37.935.3–40.6	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	38.335.5–41	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	38.635.7–41.5	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	38.935.9–41.9	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	39.336.1–42.3	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	39.636.2–42.8	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	39.936.4–43.2	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	40.236.5–43.6	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	40.536.6–44	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	40.836.7–44.4	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	4136.8–44.8	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	41.336.9–45.2	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	41.636.9–45.6	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	41.837–46	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	42.137.2–46.4	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	42.337.4–46.8	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	42.537.6–47.1	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	42.737.8–47.5	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	4338–47.9	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	43.238.2–48.3	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	43.438.4–48.6	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	43.638.6–49	35.231.3–40	39
2071	43.838.8–49.3	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	4438.9–49.6	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	44.239.1–50	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	44.439.3–50.3	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	44.639.5–50.6	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	44.839.6–50.9	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	44.939.8–51.1	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	45.139.9–51.3	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	45.340.1–51.4	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	45.540.2–51.6	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	45.640.3–51.7	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	45.840.4–51.8	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	45.940.5–51.8	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	46.140.6–51.9	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	46.240.7–51.9	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	46.440.7–52	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	46.540.7–52	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	46.640.8–52	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	46.840.8–52.1	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	46.940.8–52.2	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	4740.8–52.3	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	47.140.9–52.4	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	47.240.9–52.5	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	47.340.9–52.6	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	47.441–52.7	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	47.441–52.8	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	47.541.1–52.9	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	47.641.1–53.1	38.134–43.2	42
2099	47.741.2–53.3	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	47.841.2–53.5	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

India vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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