Nigeria vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 17.8 years in Nigeria and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10.5 years, or 1.59 times that in Nigeria.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

NigeriaSouth AfricaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1972, when it overtook Nigeria.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Nigeria at 34.3 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	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2023	17.8	28.2	30.4
2022	17.6	27.9	30.1
2021	17.4	27.6	29.8
2020	17.2	27.3	29.6
2019	17.1	26.9	29.3
2018	16.9	26.5	29
2017	16.8	26.1	28.8
2016	16.7	25.7	28.5
2015	16.7	25.4	28.3
2014	16.6	25	28.1
2013	16.6	24.7	27.8
2012	16.6	24.3	27.6
2011	16.6	24	27.4
2010	16.7	23.6	27.2
2009	16.7	23.3	27
2008	16.7	23	26.7
2007	16.8	22.7	26.5
2006	16.8	22.4	26.3
2005	16.8	22.1	26.1
2004	16.9	21.9	25.9
2003	16.9	21.6	25.7
2002	16.9	21.3	25.5
2001	16.9	21.1	25.3
2000	16.8	20.8	25.1
1999	16.8	20.6	24.9
1998	16.7	20.3	24.7
1997	16.6	20.1	24.4
1996	16.5	20.2	24.2
1995	16.5	20.5	24
1994	16.4	20.9	23.8
1993	16.3	20.9	23.5
1992	16.2	20.5	23.3
1991	16.2	20.5	23.1
1990	16.2	20.3	22.9
1989	16.1	20	22.8
1988	16.1	19.8	22.6
1987	16.1	19.7	22.4
1986	16.2	19.5	22.2
1985	16.2	19.4	22
1984	16.3	19.2	21.9
1983	16.4	19	21.8
1982	16.5	18.8	21.7
1981	16.6	18.6	21.6
1980	16.7	18.4	21.5
1979	16.8	18.2	21.3
1978	16.9	18.1	21.1
1977	17.1	18	21
1976	17.2	17.9	20.8
1975	17.3	17.9	20.7
1974	17.4	17.8	20.5
1973	17.5	17.8	20.4
1972	17.7	17.7	20.4
1971	17.8	17.7	20.3
1970	17.9	17.7	20.3
1969	18	17.7	20.3
1968	18.1	17.8	20.4
1967	18.2	17.8	20.5
1966	18.3	17.8	20.6
1965	18.3	17.8	20.8
1964	18.3	17.8	21
1963	18.3	17.8	21.2
1962	18.3	17.8	21.4
1961	18.3	17.9	21.4
1960	18.3	17.9	21.5
1959	18.3	18	21.5
1958	18.3	18.1	21.5
1957	18.3	18.3	21.6
1956	18.2	18.4	21.7
1955	18.2	18.6	21.8
1954	18.2	18.7	21.9
1953	18.2	18.9	22
1952	18.2	19	22.1
1951	18.1	19.1	22.1
1950	18.1	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Nigeria	South Africa	World
2024	1817.9–18	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	18.118–18.3	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	18.418.1–18.6	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	18.618.2–18.9	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	18.818.3–19.3	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	1918.4–19.6	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	19.318.5–20	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	19.518.6–20.4	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	19.718.7–20.8	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	2018.8–21.2	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	20.218.8–21.6	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	20.518.9–22	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	20.718.9–22.4	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	2119–22.8	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	21.219–23.2	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	21.419–23.6	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	21.718.9–24	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	21.918.9–24.4	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	22.118.9–24.8	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	22.318.8–25.1	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	22.518.9–25.5	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	22.719–25.9	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	2319.1–26.3	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	23.219.1–26.6	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	23.419.3–27	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	23.719.4–27.3	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	23.919.5–27.7	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	24.119.7–28.1	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	24.419.8–28.5	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	24.619.9–28.8	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	24.820–29.2	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	25.120.2–29.5	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	25.320.3–29.8	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	25.620.5–30	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	25.820.6–30.3	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	26.120.7–30.6	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	26.320.8–30.9	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	26.620.9–31.1	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	26.821–31.4	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	27.121.1–31.6	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	27.321.2–31.8	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	27.521.4–32	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	27.821.5–32.3	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	2821.6–32.5	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	28.321.7–32.7	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	28.521.8–32.9	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	28.821.9–33.1	35.231.3–40	39
2071	2922–33.3	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	29.222.2–33.5	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	29.522.3–33.6	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	29.722.4–33.8	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	29.922.5–34	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	30.122.7–34.2	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	30.322.8–34.4	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	30.622.9–34.6	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	30.823.1–34.7	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	3123.2–34.9	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	31.223.4–35.1	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	31.423.5–35.2	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	31.523.7–35.4	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	31.723.9–35.6	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	31.924.1–35.7	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	32.124.2–35.9	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	32.324.4–36	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	32.424.6–36.1	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	32.624.7–36.2	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	32.824.9–36.3	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	32.925–36.4	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	33.125.2–36.5	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	33.325.3–36.6	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	33.425.5–36.7	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	33.625.6–36.8	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	33.725.7–36.8	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	33.925.8–36.9	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	3426–37	38.134–43.2	42
2099	34.226.1–37	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	34.326.2–37.1	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

Nigeria vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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