North Korea vs South Korea: Median age

Median age in 2023: 36.1 years in North Korea and 44.5 years in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Korea, by 8.4 years, or 1.23 times that in North Korea.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

North KoreaSouth KoreaUN projection (medium variant)95% prediction intervalWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1985, when it overtook North Korea.
In 2023, North Korea ranked 85 and South Korea ranked 19 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts North Korea at 48.6 years and South Korea at 59.9 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 30.4 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	North Korea	South Korea	World
2023	36.1	44.5	30.4
2022	35.8	43.9	30.1
2021	35.6	43.4	29.8
2020	35.4	42.8	29.6
2019	35.1	42.2	29.3
2018	34.9	41.6	29
2017	34.7	41.1	28.8
2016	34.4	40.5	28.5
2015	34.2	39.9	28.3
2014	34	39.2	28.1
2013	33.7	38.5	27.8
2012	33.5	37.9	27.6
2011	33.3	37.2	27.4
2010	33.1	36.6	27.2
2009	32.8	36	27
2008	32.5	35.4	26.7
2007	32.1	34.8	26.5
2006	31.8	34.2	26.3
2005	31.4	33.6	26.1
2004	30.9	32.9	25.9
2003	30.4	32.3	25.7
2002	30	31.7	25.5
2001	29.5	31.2	25.3
2000	29.1	30.7	25.1
1999	28.6	30.2	24.9
1998	28.2	29.7	24.7
1997	27.8	29.2	24.4
1996	27.3	28.8	24.2
1995	26.9	28.3	24
1994	26.5	27.9	23.8
1993	26	27.4	23.5
1992	25.6	26.9	23.3
1991	25.3	26.3	23.1
1990	24.9	25.8	22.9
1989	24.5	25.3	22.8
1988	24.1	24.8	22.6
1987	23.8	24.3	22.4
1986	23.4	23.8	22.2
1985	23.1	23.3	22
1984	22.8	22.8	21.9
1983	22.5	22.3	21.8
1982	22.1	21.8	21.7
1981	21.8	21.4	21.6
1980	21.4	20.9	21.5
1979	20.9	20.5	21.3
1978	20.5	20	21.1
1977	20.2	19.6	21
1976	19.9	19.2	20.8
1975	19.7	18.9	20.7
1974	19.6	18.5	20.5
1973	19.7	18.2	20.4
1972	20.2	18	20.4
1971	20.4	17.8	20.3
1970	20.4	17.7	20.3
1969	20.5	17.6	20.3
1968	20.5	17.6	20.4
1967	20.4	17.5	20.5
1966	20.4	17.5	20.6
1965	20.2	17.5	20.8
1964	20	17.7	21
1963	19.8	17.9	21.2
1962	19.6	18.1	21.4
1961	19.2	18.3	21.4
1960	18.9	18.3	21.5
1959	18.6	18.3	21.5
1958	18.3	18.3	21.5
1957	18	18.2	21.6
1956	17.7	18	21.7
1955	17.3	17.9	21.8
1954	16.9	17.7	21.9
1953	16.6	17.6	22
1952	16.3	17.5	22.1
1951	16.1	17.5	22.1
1950	16.3	17.7	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	North Korea	South Korea	World
2024	36.336.2–36.4	45.145–45.1	30.6
2025	36.636.3–36.8	45.645.5–45.8	30.9
2026	36.836.5–37.1	46.245.9–46.5	31.1
2027	37.136.6–37.5	46.846.4–47.2	31.3
2028	37.436.7–38	47.346.8–47.9	31.6
2029	37.736.9–38.4	47.947.2–48.6	31.8
2030	3837.1–38.8	48.547.6–49.3	32
2031	38.337.3–39.2	4948–50	32.2
2032	38.637.5–39.7	49.648.4–50.8	32.4
2033	38.937.7–40.1	50.148.7–51.5	32.6
2034	39.338–40.6	50.749–52.2	32.8
2035	39.638.2–41.1	51.249.2–52.9	33
2036	39.938.4–41.5	51.649.4–53.6	33.2
2037	40.238.6–41.9	52.149.7–54.2	33.4
2038	40.638.9–42.4	52.549.8–54.9	33.6
2039	40.939.1–42.8	52.950–55.5	33.8
2040	41.239.3–43.2	53.350.2–56.1	34
2041	41.439.4–43.6	53.750.4–56.7	34.2
2042	41.739.6–44	5450.6–57.2	34.4
2043	41.939.7–44.4	54.450.8–57.7	34.6
2044	42.239.8–44.7	54.751–58.2	34.8
2045	42.339.8–45.1	5551.2–58.7	35
2046	42.539.8–45.4	55.351.4–59.2	35.2
2047	42.739.8–45.7	55.751.6–59.6	35.4
2048	42.839.8–45.9	5651.8–60.1	35.6
2049	42.939.8–46.2	56.452–60.5	35.9
2050	42.939.8–46.4	56.752.2–60.9	36.1
2051	4339.7–46.7	57.152.4–61.4	36.3
2052	4339.7–46.9	57.552.6–61.8	36.5
2053	43.139.6–47.1	57.852.7–62.2	36.7
2054	43.239.5–47.2	58.252.9–62.6	36.9
2055	43.239.5–47.4	58.553–63.1	37.1
2056	43.339.4–47.6	58.853.1–63.5	37.3
2057	43.439.4–47.9	59.253.1–63.9	37.5
2058	43.539.4–48.1	59.553.1–64.4	37.6
2059	43.639.3–48.3	59.853.1–64.9	37.8
2060	43.739.3–48.6	60.153.1–65.4	37.9
2061	43.939.3–48.9	60.353.1–65.8	38
2062	4439.3–49.1	60.653.2–66.3	38.1
2063	44.239.3–49.4	60.853.2–66.7	38.3
2064	44.439.4–49.7	60.953.2–67.1	38.4
2065	44.639.5–50	6153.3–67.5	38.5
2066	44.839.8–50.4	61.153.4–67.9	38.6
2067	4540–50.7	61.253.5–68.3	38.7
2068	45.240.2–51	61.353.5–68.7	38.8
2069	45.440.4–51.4	61.453.5–69	38.9
2070	45.640.5–51.7	61.553.6–69.4	39
2071	45.840.7–52	61.653.6–69.7	39.1
2072	4640.9–52.4	61.853.5–70	39.2
2073	46.241–52.7	61.953.4–70.2	39.3
2074	46.341.1–53.1	62.153.3–70.3	39.4
2075	46.541.2–53.4	62.253.1–70.4	39.5
2076	46.641.2–53.7	62.452.9–70.4	39.6
2077	46.741.3–54.1	62.652.7–70.4	39.7
2078	46.841.3–54.4	62.752.5–70.4	39.8
2079	46.941.3–54.7	62.952.3–70.4	40
2080	4741.3–54.9	6352.2–70.4	40.1
2081	47.141.3–55	6352–70.4	40.2
2082	47.141.3–55	6351.9–70.5	40.3
2083	47.141.3–55.1	62.951.8–70.6	40.4
2084	47.241.2–55.1	62.751.7–70.7	40.5
2085	47.241.2–55.1	62.551.7–70.8	40.6
2086	47.241.2–55.1	62.251.7–70.8	40.7
2087	47.241.2–55.1	61.951.6–70.8	40.9
2088	47.341.2–55.1	61.651.5–70.9	41
2089	47.341.2–55	61.451.5–70.7	41.1
2090	47.441.2–55	61.251.5–70.2	41.2
2091	47.541.3–55	6151.4–69.6	41.3
2092	47.641.3–54.9	60.951.3–69	41.4
2093	47.741.4–54.9	60.751.3–68.3	41.5
2094	47.841.5–54.9	60.651.3–67.6	41.6
2095	47.941.6–55	60.551.2–67	41.7
2096	4841.8–55	60.451.2–66.4	41.8
2097	48.241.9–55.1	60.251.1–65.9	41.9
2098	48.342–55.2	60.151.1–65.3	42
2099	48.542.2–55.3	6051.1–64.7	42
2100	48.642.3–55.3	59.951–64.1	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

North Korea vs South Korea: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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