Mali vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 15.5 years in Mali and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 12.7 years, or 1.82 times that in Mali.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

MaliSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1975, when it overtook Mali.
In 2023, Mali ranked 225 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Mali at 32.8 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	Mali	South Africa	World
2023	15.5	28.2	30.4
2022	15.4	27.9	30.1
2021	15.2	27.6	29.8
2020	15.1	27.3	29.6
2019	15	26.9	29.3
2018	15	26.5	29
2017	14.9	26.1	28.8
2016	14.9	25.7	28.5
2015	14.9	25.4	28.3
2014	14.9	25	28.1
2013	15	24.7	27.8
2012	15.1	24.3	27.6
2011	15.2	24	27.4
2010	15.3	23.6	27.2
2009	15.4	23.3	27
2008	15.4	23	26.7
2007	15.5	22.7	26.5
2006	15.5	22.4	26.3
2005	15.6	22.1	26.1
2004	15.6	21.9	25.9
2003	15.5	21.6	25.7
2002	15.5	21.3	25.5
2001	15.5	21.1	25.3
2000	15.4	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	15.2	20.2	24.2
1995	15.2	20.5	24
1994	15.2	20.9	23.8
1993	15.2	20.9	23.5
1992	15.3	20.5	23.3
1991	15.3	20.5	23.1
1990	15.4	20.3	22.9
1989	15.5	20	22.8
1988	15.6	19.8	22.6
1987	15.8	19.7	22.4
1986	16	19.5	22.2
1985	16.2	19.4	22
1984	16.4	19.2	21.9
1983	16.5	19	21.8
1982	16.7	18.8	21.7
1981	16.8	18.6	21.6
1980	17	18.4	21.5
1979	17.2	18.2	21.3
1978	17.3	18.1	21.1
1977	17.5	18	21
1976	17.7	17.9	20.8
1975	17.8	17.9	20.7
1974	17.9	17.8	20.5
1973	18.1	17.8	20.4
1972	18.2	17.7	20.4
1971	18.3	17.7	20.3
1970	18.4	17.7	20.3
1969	18.4	17.7	20.3
1968	18.5	17.8	20.4
1967	18.6	17.8	20.5
1966	18.7	17.8	20.6
1965	18.8	17.8	20.8
1964	18.8	17.8	21
1963	18.8	17.8	21.2
1962	18.8	17.8	21.4
1961	18.8	17.9	21.4
1960	18.8	17.9	21.5
1959	18.9	18	21.5
1958	18.9	18.1	21.5
1957	19	18.3	21.6
1956	19.1	18.4	21.7
1955	19.2	18.6	21.8
1954	19.3	18.7	21.9
1953	19.3	18.9	22
1952	19.4	19	22.1
1951	19.4	19.1	22.1
1950	19.5	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Mali	South Africa	World
2024	15.615.5–15.7	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	15.715.6–15.9	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	15.915.6–16.2	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	1615.7–16.5	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	16.215.8–16.8	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	16.415.8–17.1	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	16.515.8–17.4	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	16.715.9–17.8	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	16.815.9–18.1	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	1716–18.4	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	17.216–18.8	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	17.316–19.2	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	17.516–19.6	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	17.716–20	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	17.816–20.4	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	1815.9–20.8	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	18.215.9–21.2	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	18.416–21.6	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	18.516.1–22	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	18.716.2–22.4	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	18.916.3–22.8	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	19.116.4–23.2	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	19.416.5–23.6	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	19.616.7–24.1	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	19.816.8–24.5	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	2016.9–24.9	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	20.217–25.3	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	20.517.1–25.6	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	20.717.2–26	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	2117.3–26.3	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	21.217.4–26.7	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	21.517.5–27	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	21.717.6–27.3	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	2217.7–27.6	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	22.317.8–27.9	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	22.517.9–28.2	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	22.817.9–28.5	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	2318–28.8	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	23.318.1–29.1	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	23.618.1–29.4	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	23.818.2–29.8	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	24.118.3–30.1	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	24.318.4–30.3	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	24.618.5–30.6	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	24.918.6–30.9	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	25.118.7–31.2	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	25.418.8–31.4	35.231.3–40	39
2071	25.718.9–31.7	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	25.919.1–32	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	26.219.2–32.2	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	26.519.3–32.5	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	26.719.4–32.7	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	2719.5–33	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	27.219.7–33.2	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	27.519.8–33.4	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	27.819.9–33.6	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	2820.1–33.8	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	28.320.2–33.9	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	28.520.4–34.1	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	28.820.5–34.3	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	2920.7–34.4	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	29.320.8–34.6	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	29.521–34.7	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	29.821.2–34.9	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	3021.3–35	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	30.321.5–35.1	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	30.521.7–35.3	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	30.721.8–35.4	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	3122–35.5	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	31.222.2–35.7	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	31.422.4–35.8	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	31.722.5–35.9	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	31.922.7–36	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	32.122.9–36.1	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	32.323.1–36.2	38.134–43.2	42
2099	32.623.3–36.3	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	32.823.5–36.4	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

Mali vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Mali vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment