Iran vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 32.9 years in Iran and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Iran, by 4.7 years, or 1.17 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

IranSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

Iran has been higher since 2002, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2023, Iran ranked 108 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Iran at 51.9 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	Iran	South Africa	World
2023	32.9	28.2	30.4
2022	32.3	27.9	30.1
2021	31.8	27.6	29.8
2020	31.3	27.3	29.6
2019	30.8	26.9	29.3
2018	30.3	26.5	29
2017	29.7	26.1	28.8
2016	29.2	25.7	28.5
2015	28.7	25.4	28.3
2014	28.2	25	28.1
2013	27.7	24.7	27.8
2012	27.2	24.3	27.6
2011	26.6	24	27.4
2010	26.1	23.6	27.2
2009	25.5	23.3	27
2008	25	23	26.7
2007	24.4	22.7	26.5
2006	23.8	22.4	26.3
2005	23.2	22.1	26.1
2004	22.6	21.9	25.9
2003	22	21.6	25.7
2002	21.4	21.3	25.5
2001	20.8	21.1	25.3
2000	20.2	20.8	25.1
1999	19.6	20.6	24.9
1998	19	20.3	24.7
1997	18.4	20.1	24.4
1996	17.9	20.2	24.2
1995	17.5	20.5	24
1994	17.1	20.9	23.8
1993	17.1	20.9	23.5
1992	17.3	20.5	23.3
1991	17.2	20.5	23.1
1990	17.2	20.3	22.9
1989	17.1	20	22.8
1988	17.1	19.8	22.6
1987	17.2	19.7	22.4
1986	17.2	19.5	22.2
1985	17.2	19.4	22
1984	17.3	19.2	21.9
1983	17.4	19	21.8
1982	17.5	18.8	21.7
1981	17.4	18.6	21.6
1980	17.2	18.4	21.5
1979	17.2	18.2	21.3
1978	17.2	18.1	21.1
1977	17.2	18	21
1976	17.1	17.9	20.8
1975	17	17.9	20.7
1974	16.9	17.8	20.5
1973	16.8	17.8	20.4
1972	16.7	17.7	20.4
1971	16.6	17.7	20.3
1970	16.5	17.7	20.3
1969	16.5	17.7	20.3
1968	16.4	17.8	20.4
1967	16.4	17.8	20.5
1966	16.5	17.8	20.6
1965	16.6	17.8	20.8
1964	16.8	17.8	21
1963	17	17.8	21.2
1962	17.3	17.8	21.4
1961	17.6	17.9	21.4
1960	18	17.9	21.5
1959	18.4	18	21.5
1958	18.8	18.1	21.5
1957	19.2	18.3	21.6
1956	19.5	18.4	21.7
1955	19.7	18.6	21.8
1954	19.9	18.7	21.9
1953	20.1	18.9	22
1952	20.3	19	22.1
1951	20.5	19.1	22.1
1950	20.7	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Iran	South Africa	World
2024	33.433.3–33.5	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	3433.7–34.2	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	34.534.1–35	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	35.134.5–35.7	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	35.635–36.4	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	36.235.3–37.1	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	36.735.7–37.8	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	37.236.1–38.5	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	37.736.4–39.2	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	38.236.7–39.9	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	38.637–40.5	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	3937.3–41.1	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	39.437.5–41.7	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	39.837.7–42.4	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	40.238–43	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	40.538.2–43.5	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	40.838.4–44.1	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	41.138.6–44.5	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	41.438.7–45	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	41.739–45.5	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	41.939.2–45.9	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	42.239.4–46.3	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	42.439.6–46.7	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	42.739.9–47.1	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	42.940.1–47.4	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	43.240.4–47.7	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	43.540.6–48.1	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	43.740.9–48.4	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	4441.2–48.7	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	44.341.5–49	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	44.641.9–49.2	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	44.942.2–49.5	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	45.242.4–49.7	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	45.542.7–50	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	45.943–50.4	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	46.243.4–50.6	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	46.543.7–50.9	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	46.944–51.2	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	47.244.4–51.5	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	47.644.7–51.8	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	47.945–52.1	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	48.345.2–52.3	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	48.645.3–52.6	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	4945.5–53	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	49.345.6–53.4	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	49.545.7–53.7	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	49.745.7–54.1	35.231.3–40	39
2071	49.945.8–54.5	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	5045.8–54.9	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	50.145.8–55.3	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	50.245.8–55.6	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	50.245.8–56	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	50.345.8–56.3	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	50.345.8–56.6	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	50.345.7–56.9	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	50.345.7–57.2	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	50.345.7–57.4	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	50.345.7–57.7	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	50.245.7–58	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	50.245.6–58.2	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	50.245.7–58.5	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	50.245.7–58.7	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	50.345.7–58.8	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	50.345.7–59	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	50.445.7–59.2	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	50.545.7–59.3	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	50.645.8–59.4	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	50.745.9–59.5	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	50.845.9–59.5	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	50.946–59.5	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	51.146–59.4	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	51.246–59.4	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	51.446.1–59.5	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	51.546.1–59.6	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	51.646.1–59.6	38.134–43.2	42
2099	51.846.2–59.7	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	51.946.2–59.8	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

Iran vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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