Lesotho vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 21.4 years in Lesotho and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.8 years, or 1.32 times that in Lesotho.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

LesothoSouth 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, Lesotho ranked 177 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Lesotho at 38.7 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	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2023	21.4	28.2	30.4
2022	21.3	27.9	30.1
2021	21.1	27.6	29.8
2020	21	27.3	29.6
2019	20.8	26.9	29.3
2018	20.7	26.5	29
2017	20.6	26.1	28.8
2016	20.5	25.7	28.5
2015	20.4	25.4	28.3
2014	20.2	25	28.1
2013	20.1	24.7	27.8
2012	20	24.3	27.6
2011	19.9	24	27.4
2010	19.7	23.6	27.2
2009	19.5	23.3	27
2008	19.4	23	26.7
2007	19.2	22.7	26.5
2006	19	22.4	26.3
2005	18.9	22.1	26.1
2004	18.8	21.9	25.9
2003	18.6	21.6	25.7
2002	18.5	21.3	25.5
2001	18.3	21.1	25.3
2000	18.2	20.8	25.1
1999	18	20.6	24.9
1998	17.8	20.3	24.7
1997	17.7	20.1	24.4
1996	17.5	20.2	24.2
1995	17.5	20.5	24
1994	17.4	20.9	23.8
1993	17.3	20.9	23.5
1992	17.3	20.5	23.3
1991	17.3	20.5	23.1
1990	17.4	20.3	22.9
1989	17.4	20	22.8
1988	17.5	19.8	22.6
1987	17.6	19.7	22.4
1986	17.5	19.5	22.2
1985	17.4	19.4	22
1984	17.4	19.2	21.9
1983	17.5	19	21.8
1982	17.6	18.8	21.7
1981	17.6	18.6	21.6
1980	17.7	18.4	21.5
1979	17.8	18.2	21.3
1978	17.9	18.1	21.1
1977	17.9	18	21
1976	17.9	17.9	20.8
1975	17.8	17.9	20.7
1974	17.7	17.8	20.5
1973	17.5	17.8	20.4
1972	17.3	17.7	20.4
1971	17.1	17.7	20.3
1970	17	17.7	20.3
1969	16.8	17.7	20.3
1968	16.7	17.8	20.4
1967	16.6	17.8	20.5
1966	16.4	17.8	20.6
1965	16.2	17.8	20.8
1964	16.2	17.8	21
1963	16.2	17.8	21.2
1962	16.2	17.8	21.4
1961	16.3	17.9	21.4
1960	16.3	17.9	21.5
1959	16.4	18	21.5
1958	16.4	18.1	21.5
1957	16.4	18.3	21.6
1956	16.5	18.4	21.7
1955	16.6	18.6	21.8
1954	16.7	18.7	21.9
1953	16.9	18.9	22
1952	17.1	19	22.1
1951	17.4	19.1	22.1
1950	17.7	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Lesotho	South Africa	World
2024	21.621.6–21.7	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	21.921.7–22	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	22.121.9–22.3	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	22.322–22.6	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	22.622.1–23	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	22.822.3–23.3	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	2322.4–23.6	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	23.222.6–23.9	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	23.522.8–24.2	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	23.822.9–24.5	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	2423.1–24.9	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	24.323.3–25.3	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	24.623.5–25.6	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	24.923.7–26	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	25.223.9–26.4	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	25.524.1–26.8	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	25.824.3–27.2	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	26.124.5–27.7	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	26.424.7–28.1	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	26.725–28.5	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	27.125.2–29	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	27.425.4–29.4	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	27.725.6–29.9	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	2825.7–30.3	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	28.325.9–30.8	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	28.526–31.3	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	28.826.1–31.7	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	29.126.3–32.2	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	29.326.4–32.7	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	29.526.6–33.1	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	29.826.7–33.6	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	3026.9–34	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	30.327.1–34.4	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	30.527.3–34.8	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	30.727.4–35.3	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	3127.5–35.7	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	31.227.7–36.1	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	31.427.8–36.5	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	31.628–36.9	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	31.828.1–37.2	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	32.128.3–37.5	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	32.328.4–37.9	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	32.528.6–38.3	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	32.728.8–38.7	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	32.928.9–39	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	33.129–39.4	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	33.329.1–39.7	35.231.3–40	39
2071	33.529.2–40.1	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	33.829.3–40.5	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	3429.4–40.9	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	34.229.6–41.4	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	34.429.7–41.8	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	34.629.9–42.3	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	34.830–42.7	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	3530.2–43.2	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	35.230.4–43.6	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	35.430.6–44	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	35.630.8–44.5	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	35.831–45	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	3631.1–45.5	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	36.131.3–46	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	36.331.4–46.5	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	36.531.6–47	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	36.731.7–47.5	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	36.831.8–47.9	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	3731.9–48.4	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	37.232–48.9	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	37.332.1–49.3	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	37.532.1–49.7	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	37.732.2–50.1	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	37.832.3–50.5	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	3832.4–50.9	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	38.132.5–51.3	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	38.232.6–51.7	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	38.432.7–52	38.134–43.2	42
2099	38.532.8–52.3	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	38.732.8–52.5	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

Lesotho vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Lesotho vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment