Rwanda vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 19.4 years in Rwanda and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8.8 years, or 1.45 times that in Rwanda.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

RwandaSouth 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, Rwanda ranked 193 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Rwanda at 38.1 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	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2023	19.4	28.2	30.4
2022	19.2	27.9	30.1
2021	19	27.6	29.8
2020	18.9	27.3	29.6
2019	18.7	26.9	29.3
2018	18.6	26.5	29
2017	18.5	26.1	28.8
2016	18.4	25.7	28.5
2015	18.3	25.4	28.3
2014	18.1	25	28.1
2013	17.9	24.7	27.8
2012	17.8	24.3	27.6
2011	17.6	24	27.4
2010	17.5	23.6	27.2
2009	17.4	23.3	27
2008	17.3	23	26.7
2007	17.1	22.7	26.5
2006	17	22.4	26.3
2005	16.8	22.1	26.1
2004	16.6	21.9	25.9
2003	16.3	21.6	25.7
2002	16.1	21.3	25.5
2001	15.7	21.1	25.3
2000	15.2	20.8	25.1
1999	14.7	20.6	24.9
1998	14.3	20.3	24.7
1997	13.8	20.1	24.4
1996	13.5	20.2	24.2
1995	13.2	20.5	24
1994	14	20.9	23.8
1993	14.7	20.9	23.5
1992	14.5	20.5	23.3
1991	14.5	20.5	23.1
1990	14.5	20.3	22.9
1989	14.5	20	22.8
1988	14.5	19.8	22.6
1987	14.6	19.7	22.4
1986	14.7	19.5	22.2
1985	14.8	19.4	22
1984	14.9	19.2	21.9
1983	15	19	21.8
1982	15.2	18.8	21.7
1981	15.3	18.6	21.6
1980	15.4	18.4	21.5
1979	15.5	18.2	21.3
1978	15.5	18.1	21.1
1977	15.5	18	21
1976	15.4	17.9	20.8
1975	15.4	17.9	20.7
1974	15.2	17.8	20.5
1973	15.1	17.8	20.4
1972	15	17.7	20.4
1971	14.8	17.7	20.3
1970	14.7	17.7	20.3
1969	14.5	17.7	20.3
1968	14.3	17.8	20.4
1967	14.1	17.8	20.5
1966	13.9	17.8	20.6
1965	13.8	17.8	20.8
1964	13.7	17.8	21
1963	13.7	17.8	21.2
1962	13.9	17.8	21.4
1961	14.1	17.9	21.4
1960	14.4	17.9	21.5
1959	14.7	18	21.5
1958	15.1	18.1	21.5
1957	15.4	18.3	21.6
1956	15.8	18.4	21.7
1955	16.2	18.6	21.8
1954	16.5	18.7	21.9
1953	16.7	18.9	22
1952	16.9	19	22.1
1951	17.1	19.1	22.1
1950	17.2	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2024	19.719.5–19.8	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	2019.4–20.2	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	20.219.4–20.5	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	20.519.5–20.8	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	20.819.6–21	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	2119.7–21.3	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	21.219.8–21.5	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	21.519.9–21.7	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	21.720–21.9	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	21.920.3–22	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	22.120.6–22.1	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	22.320.9–22.3	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	22.521.2–22.4	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	22.721.6–22.5	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	22.922.1–22.6	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	23.222.7–22.8	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	23.422.9–23.1	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	23.722.9–23.6	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	23.923.1–24.4	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	24.123.3–25.1	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	24.423.4–25.5	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	24.623.5–25.8	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	24.823.6–26	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	25.123.7–26.1	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	25.323.8–26.5	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	25.624–26.9	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	25.824.1–27	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	2624.2–27	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	26.324.4–27.3	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	26.524.6–27.6	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	26.824.8–27.9	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	2725–28.1	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	27.325.2–28.3	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	27.625.3–28.6	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	27.825.5–28.7	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	28.125.7–28.5	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	28.326–28.3	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	28.626.2–28.6	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	28.826.4–28.8	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	29.126.6–28.8	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	29.326.7–28.7	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	29.626.9–28.3	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	29.927–28	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	30.127.2–28.2	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	30.427.4–28.3	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	30.627.6–28.5	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	30.927.9–28.8	35.231.3–40	39
2071	31.228–29.1	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	31.428.2–29.3	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	31.728.5–29.4	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	3228.7–29.5	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	32.229–29.7	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	32.529.2–29.9	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	32.829.4–29.7	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	3329.5–29.5	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	33.329.8–29.8	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	33.530–30.1	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	33.830–30.3	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	3430.1–30.4	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	34.330.3–30.4	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	34.530.4–30.5	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	34.830.4–30.6	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	3530.2–30.9	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	35.230.1–31.2	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	35.430.1–31.4	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	35.730–31.6	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	35.930–31.8	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	36.130.2–32	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	36.330.3–32.1	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	36.530.4–32.3	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	36.830.5–32.7	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	3730.8–32.9	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	37.231–33.1	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	37.431.2–33.3	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	37.731.4–33.5	38.134–43.2	42
2099	37.931.6–33.6	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	38.131.6–33.7	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

Rwanda vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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