Kenya vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 19.5 years in Kenya and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8.7 years, or 1.44 times that in Kenya.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

KenyaSouth 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, Kenya ranked 192 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Kenya at 37.5 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	Kenya	South Africa	World
2023	19.5	28.2	30.4
2022	19.3	27.9	30.1
2021	19	27.6	29.8
2020	18.8	27.3	29.6
2019	18.5	26.9	29.3
2018	18.3	26.5	29
2017	18.1	26.1	28.8
2016	17.9	25.7	28.5
2015	17.7	25.4	28.3
2014	17.5	25	28.1
2013	17.3	24.7	27.8
2012	17.1	24.3	27.6
2011	17	24	27.4
2010	16.9	23.6	27.2
2009	16.8	23.3	27
2008	16.7	23	26.7
2007	16.6	22.7	26.5
2006	16.5	22.4	26.3
2005	16.3	22.1	26.1
2004	16.2	21.9	25.9
2003	16	21.6	25.7
2002	15.9	21.3	25.5
2001	15.7	21.1	25.3
2000	15.6	20.8	25.1
1999	15.4	20.6	24.9
1998	15.3	20.3	24.7
1997	15.2	20.1	24.4
1996	15	20.2	24.2
1995	14.9	20.5	24
1994	14.8	20.9	23.8
1993	14.7	20.9	23.5
1992	14.5	20.5	23.3
1991	14.4	20.5	23.1
1990	14.3	20.3	22.9
1989	14.2	20	22.8
1988	14.1	19.8	22.6
1987	14	19.7	22.4
1986	14	19.5	22.2
1985	13.9	19.4	22
1984	13.8	19.2	21.9
1983	13.7	19	21.8
1982	13.6	18.8	21.7
1981	13.5	18.6	21.6
1980	13.4	18.4	21.5
1979	13.3	18.2	21.3
1978	13.3	18.1	21.1
1977	13.2	18	21
1976	13.2	17.9	20.8
1975	13.2	17.9	20.7
1974	13.2	17.8	20.5
1973	13.2	17.8	20.4
1972	13.2	17.7	20.4
1971	13.3	17.7	20.3
1970	13.3	17.7	20.3
1969	13.4	17.7	20.3
1968	13.5	17.8	20.4
1967	13.6	17.8	20.5
1966	13.7	17.8	20.6
1965	13.9	17.8	20.8
1964	14.1	17.8	21
1963	14.2	17.8	21.2
1962	14.3	17.8	21.4
1961	14.4	17.9	21.4
1960	14.6	17.9	21.5
1959	14.8	18	21.5
1958	15.1	18.1	21.5
1957	15.3	18.3	21.6
1956	15.5	18.4	21.7
1955	15.7	18.6	21.8
1954	15.9	18.7	21.9
1953	16	18.9	22
1952	16	19	22.1
1951	16	19.1	22.1
1950	16	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Kenya	South Africa	World
2024	19.819.7–19.8	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	2019.9–20.2	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	20.320.1–20.5	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	20.620.2–20.9	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	20.820.4–21.3	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	21.120.6–21.7	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	21.420.7–22	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	21.720.9–22.4	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	21.921–22.8	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	22.221.2–23.3	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	22.521.3–23.7	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	22.821.4–24.1	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	2321.5–24.5	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	23.321.6–24.9	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	23.521.6–25.4	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	23.721.7–25.8	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	2421.8–26.2	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	24.221.8–26.6	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	24.421.9–27	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	24.722–27.5	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	24.922–27.9	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	25.122.1–28.3	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	25.322.2–28.7	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	25.622.3–29.1	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	25.822.5–29.5	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	2622.7–29.8	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	26.322.8–30.2	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	26.523–30.6	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	26.823.2–31	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	2723.4–31.3	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	27.323.5–31.7	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	27.523.7–32.1	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	27.823.8–32.5	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	2824–32.9	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	28.324.2–33.2	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	28.524.3–33.6	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	28.824.5–33.9	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	29.124.7–34.2	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	29.324.8–34.5	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	29.625–34.8	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	29.825.1–35.1	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	30.125.2–35.4	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	30.425.4–35.7	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	30.625.5–36.1	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	30.925.7–36.4	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	31.125.8–36.7	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	31.425.9–37	35.231.3–40	39
2071	31.626.1–37.3	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	31.926.2–37.6	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	32.126.3–37.9	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	32.426.4–38.1	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	32.626.5–38.4	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	32.826.7–38.6	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	33.126.8–38.9	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	33.326.9–39.1	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	33.527.1–39.4	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	33.727.2–39.6	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	33.927.4–39.8	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	34.127.5–40	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	34.327.7–40.2	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	34.527.9–40.4	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	34.728.1–40.6	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	34.928.2–40.8	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	35.128.4–41	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	35.328.6–41.1	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	35.428.8–41.3	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	35.629–41.4	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	35.829.2–41.6	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	3629.3–41.7	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	36.229.5–41.9	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	36.329.7–42.1	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	36.529.8–42.2	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	36.730–42.4	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	36.930.2–42.5	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	37.130.3–42.7	38.134–43.2	42
2099	37.330.5–42.9	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	37.530.6–43	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

Kenya vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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