Malawi vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 17.6 years in Malawi and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10.6 years, or 1.6 times that in Malawi.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

MalawiSouth 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, Malawi ranked 214 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Malawi at 36.5 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	Malawi	South Africa	World
2023	17.6	28.2	30.4
2022	17.3	27.9	30.1
2021	17.1	27.6	29.8
2020	16.9	27.3	29.6
2019	16.7	26.9	29.3
2018	16.5	26.5	29
2017	16.3	26.1	28.8
2016	16.1	25.7	28.5
2015	16	25.4	28.3
2014	15.9	25	28.1
2013	15.8	24.7	27.8
2012	15.7	24.3	27.6
2011	15.7	24	27.4
2010	15.7	23.6	27.2
2009	15.7	23.3	27
2008	15.7	23	26.7
2007	15.7	22.7	26.5
2006	15.7	22.4	26.3
2005	15.7	22.1	26.1
2004	15.7	21.9	25.9
2003	15.7	21.6	25.7
2002	15.7	21.3	25.5
2001	15.7	21.1	25.3
2000	15.7	20.8	25.1
1999	15.7	20.6	24.9
1998	15.7	20.3	24.7
1997	15.7	20.1	24.4
1996	15.7	20.2	24.2
1995	15.7	20.5	24
1994	15.8	20.9	23.8
1993	15.9	20.9	23.5
1992	16	20.5	23.3
1991	16.1	20.5	23.1
1990	16.2	20.3	22.9
1989	16.3	20	22.8
1988	16.4	19.8	22.6
1987	16.3	19.7	22.4
1986	16.2	19.5	22.2
1985	16.2	19.4	22
1984	16.2	19.2	21.9
1983	16.2	19	21.8
1982	16.2	18.8	21.7
1981	16.2	18.6	21.6
1980	16.2	18.4	21.5
1979	16.3	18.2	21.3
1978	16.3	18.1	21.1
1977	16.3	18	21
1976	16.3	17.9	20.8
1975	16.4	17.9	20.7
1974	16.5	17.8	20.5
1973	16.6	17.8	20.4
1972	16.7	17.7	20.4
1971	16.8	17.7	20.3
1970	16.9	17.7	20.3
1969	17.1	17.7	20.3
1968	17.2	17.8	20.4
1967	17.3	17.8	20.5
1966	17.4	17.8	20.6
1965	17.4	17.8	20.8
1964	17.3	17.8	21
1963	17.3	17.8	21.2
1962	17.2	17.8	21.4
1961	17.2	17.9	21.4
1960	17.1	17.9	21.5
1959	17.1	18	21.5
1958	17	18.1	21.5
1957	16.9	18.3	21.6
1956	16.9	18.4	21.7
1955	16.8	18.6	21.8
1954	16.7	18.7	21.9
1953	16.6	18.9	22
1952	16.4	19	22.1
1951	16.3	19.1	22.1
1950	16.1	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Malawi	South Africa	World
2024	17.817.8–17.9	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	18.118–18.2	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	18.418.3–18.5	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	18.718.6–18.8	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	1918.8–19.1	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	19.219.2–19.4	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	19.519.5–19.6	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	19.819.9–19.9	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	20.120.1–20.2	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	20.320.3–20.6	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	20.620.5–21	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	20.920.6–21.4	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	21.120.8–21.8	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	21.420.9–22.2	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	21.621–22.7	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	21.921.1–23.1	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	22.121.3–23.4	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	22.321.4–23.7	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	22.621.5–24.1	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	22.821.6–24.5	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	23.121.7–24.8	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	23.321.8–25.2	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	23.621.9–25.6	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	23.822–26	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	24.122.2–26.4	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	24.422.3–26.8	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	24.622.4–27.1	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	24.922.6–27.5	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	25.222.7–28	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	25.422.9–28.4	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	25.723–28.8	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	2623.1–29.2	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	26.223.2–29.6	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	26.523.3–30	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	26.823.5–30.3	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	2723.6–30.7	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	27.323.8–31.1	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	27.624–31.4	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	27.824.1–31.8	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	28.124.2–32.2	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	28.424.3–32.6	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	28.624.4–33	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	28.924.6–33.4	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	29.124.6–33.7	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	29.424.7–34.2	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	29.624.9–34.6	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	29.925–35	35.231.3–40	39
2071	30.125.1–35.3	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	30.425.2–35.7	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	30.625.3–36	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	30.925.5–36.4	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	31.125.5–36.8	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	31.325.7–37.1	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	31.625.8–37.4	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	31.825.9–37.8	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	3226–38.1	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	32.226.1–38.3	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	32.526.2–38.6	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	32.726.3–38.8	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	32.926.4–39	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	33.126.6–39.2	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	33.426.8–39.4	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	33.627–39.6	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	33.827.1–39.8	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	3427.3–39.9	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	34.227.4–40.1	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	34.427.6–40.2	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	34.727.7–40.3	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	34.927.8–40.5	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	35.127.8–40.8	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	35.328–41.1	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	35.528.1–41.4	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	35.728.1–41.7	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	35.928.2–41.9	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	36.128.3–42.1	38.134–43.2	42
2099	36.328.4–42.3	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	36.528.6–42.4	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

Malawi vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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