Namibia vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 21 years in Namibia and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 7.3 years, or 1.35 times that in Namibia.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

NamibiaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1959.
In 2023, Namibia ranked 180 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Namibia at 38.8 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	Namibia	South Africa	World
2023	21	28.2	30.4
2022	20.8	27.9	30.1
2021	20.8	27.6	29.8
2020	20.8	27.3	29.6
2019	20.7	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	20.3	25	28.1
2013	20.1	24.7	27.8
2012	19.9	24.3	27.6
2011	19.7	24	27.4
2010	19.4	23.6	27.2
2009	19.2	23.3	27
2008	19	23	26.7
2007	18.9	22.7	26.5
2006	18.7	22.4	26.3
2005	18.5	22.1	26.1
2004	18.4	21.9	25.9
2003	18.2	21.6	25.7
2002	18.1	21.3	25.5
2001	18	21.1	25.3
2000	18	20.8	25.1
1999	17.9	20.6	24.9
1998	17.8	20.3	24.7
1997	17.8	20.1	24.4
1996	17.7	20.2	24.2
1995	17.6	20.5	24
1994	17.5	20.9	23.8
1993	17.4	20.9	23.5
1992	17.4	20.5	23.3
1991	17.3	20.5	23.1
1990	17.3	20.3	22.9
1989	16.8	20	22.8
1988	16.1	19.8	22.6
1987	15.9	19.7	22.4
1986	15.7	19.5	22.2
1985	15.6	19.4	22
1984	15.4	19.2	21.9
1983	15.3	19	21.8
1982	15.2	18.8	21.7
1981	15.3	18.6	21.6
1980	15.5	18.4	21.5
1979	15.7	18.2	21.3
1978	15.9	18.1	21.1
1977	16.2	18	21
1976	16.4	17.9	20.8
1975	16.5	17.9	20.7
1974	16.6	17.8	20.5
1973	16.7	17.8	20.4
1972	16.8	17.7	20.4
1971	16.9	17.7	20.3
1970	17	17.7	20.3
1969	17	17.7	20.3
1968	17.1	17.8	20.4
1967	17.2	17.8	20.5
1966	17.2	17.8	20.6
1965	17.3	17.8	20.8
1964	17.4	17.8	21
1963	17.4	17.8	21.2
1962	17.5	17.8	21.4
1961	17.6	17.9	21.4
1960	17.8	17.9	21.5
1959	17.9	18	21.5
1958	18.1	18.1	21.5
1957	18.4	18.3	21.6
1956	18.6	18.4	21.7
1955	18.9	18.6	21.8
1954	19.1	18.7	21.9
1953	19.3	18.9	22
1952	19.5	19	22.1
1951	19.7	19.1	22.1
1950	19.8	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Namibia	South Africa	World
2024	21.221.1–21.1	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	21.321.3–21.3	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	21.521.4–21.4	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	21.721.5–21.6	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	21.921.7–21.8	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	22.121.8–22.1	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	22.221.9–22.3	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	22.422.1–22.6	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	22.622.2–22.9	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	22.922.2–23.2	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	23.122.4–23.5	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	23.422.5–23.8	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	23.622.6–24.2	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	23.922.8–24.7	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	24.122.9–25.1	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	24.423.1–25.5	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	24.723.2–25.9	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	2523.4–26.4	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	25.323.6–26.9	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	25.623.7–27.3	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	25.923.9–27.7	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	26.224.1–28.1	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	26.524.3–28.6	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	26.824.5–29	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	27.224.6–29.5	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	27.524.7–30	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	27.924.9–30.5	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	28.225–30.9	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	28.525.2–31.4	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	28.725.3–31.9	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	2925.4–32.4	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	29.225.5–32.9	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	29.425.7–33.4	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	29.725.8–33.9	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	29.925.9–34.3	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	30.126.1–34.7	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	30.326.2–35.1	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	30.626.4–35.4	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	30.826.5–35.7	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	3126.6–36	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	31.226.8–36.3	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	31.526.9–36.6	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	31.727–36.9	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	31.927.2–37.1	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	32.127.3–37.3	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	32.327.5–37.6	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	32.627.6–37.8	35.231.3–40	39
2071	32.827.7–38.1	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	3327.8–38.3	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	33.227.9–38.6	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	33.427.9–38.8	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	33.728–39	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	33.928.1–39.2	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	34.128.3–39.5	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	34.328.4–39.8	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	34.528.6–40.1	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	34.728.7–40.3	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	34.928.7–40.6	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	35.228.8–40.9	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	35.428.9–41.2	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	35.629–41.5	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	35.829.2–41.8	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	3629.3–42.1	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	36.229.4–42.4	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	36.429.5–42.7	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	36.729.7–43	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	36.929.8–43.3	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	37.129.8–43.6	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	37.329.9–43.8	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	37.530–44	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	37.730.2–44.2	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	37.930.3–44.4	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	38.130.5–44.6	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	38.330.6–44.9	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	38.530.8–45	38.134–43.2	42
2099	38.630.9–45.1	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	38.831.1–45.4	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

Namibia vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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