Somalia vs South Africa: Median age

Median age in 2023: 15.5 years in Somalia and 28.2 years in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 12.8 years, or 1.83 times that in Somalia.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

SomaliaSouth 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, Somalia ranked 226 and South Africa ranked 139 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts Somalia at 32.5 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	Somalia	South Africa	World
2023	15.5	28.2	30.4
2022	15.4	27.9	30.1
2021	15.3	27.6	29.8
2020	15.3	27.3	29.6
2019	15.2	26.9	29.3
2018	15.2	26.5	29
2017	15.1	26.1	28.8
2016	15	25.7	28.5
2015	15	25.4	28.3
2014	15	25	28.1
2013	14.9	24.7	27.8
2012	14.9	24.3	27.6
2011	14.7	24	27.4
2010	14.6	23.6	27.2
2009	14.5	23.3	27
2008	14.5	23	26.7
2007	14.6	22.7	26.5
2006	14.8	22.4	26.3
2005	14.9	22.1	26.1
2004	15	21.9	25.9
2003	15	21.6	25.7
2002	15.1	21.3	25.5
2001	15.1	21.1	25.3
2000	15.2	20.8	25.1
1999	15.2	20.6	24.9
1998	15.3	20.3	24.7
1997	15.3	20.1	24.4
1996	15.4	20.2	24.2
1995	15.5	20.5	24
1994	15.5	20.9	23.8
1993	15.6	20.9	23.5
1992	15.6	20.5	23.3
1991	15.4	20.5	23.1
1990	15.4	20.3	22.9
1989	15.6	20	22.8
1988	15.8	19.8	22.6
1987	15.9	19.7	22.4
1986	16	19.5	22.2
1985	16.1	19.4	22
1984	16.2	19.2	21.9
1983	16.3	19	21.8
1982	16.4	18.8	21.7
1981	16.4	18.6	21.6
1980	16.5	18.4	21.5
1979	16.5	18.2	21.3
1978	16.6	18.1	21.1
1977	16.6	18	21
1976	16.6	17.9	20.8
1975	16.6	17.9	20.7
1974	16.6	17.8	20.5
1973	16.5	17.8	20.4
1972	16.5	17.7	20.4
1971	16.5	17.7	20.3
1970	16.5	17.7	20.3
1969	16.4	17.7	20.3
1968	16.4	17.8	20.4
1967	16.3	17.8	20.5
1966	16.3	17.8	20.6
1965	16.4	17.8	20.8
1964	16.4	17.8	21
1963	16.5	17.8	21.2
1962	16.7	17.8	21.4
1961	16.8	17.9	21.4
1960	17	17.9	21.5
1959	17.2	18	21.5
1958	17.3	18.1	21.5
1957	17.4	18.3	21.6
1956	17.5	18.4	21.7
1955	17.7	18.6	21.8
1954	17.8	18.7	21.9
1953	17.9	18.9	22
1952	18.1	19	22.1
1951	18.3	19.1	22.1
1950	18.5	19.2	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	Somalia	South Africa	World
2024	15.515.3–15.8	28.528.3–28.6	30.6
2025	15.614.9–16.3	28.728.3–29	30.9
2026	15.614.6–16.7	28.928.3–29.4	31.1
2027	15.714.5–17	29.128.2–29.8	31.3
2028	15.714.5–17.2	29.328.2–30.1	31.6
2029	15.814.7–17.4	29.528.1–30.5	31.8
2030	15.914.9–17.5	29.628.1–30.8	32
2031	16.115.1–17.7	29.728–31.2	32.2
2032	16.315.4–18	29.927.9–31.5	32.4
2033	16.415.7–18.1	3027.9–31.8	32.6
2034	16.615.9–18.2	30.128–32.1	32.8
2035	16.816.2–18.3	30.228.1–32.3	33
2036	1716.6–18.3	30.328.1–32.5	33.2
2037	17.216.9–18.3	30.528.3–32.8	33.4
2038	17.417.2–18.3	30.628.4–33	33.6
2039	17.617.5–18.4	30.828.4–33.2	33.8
2040	17.817.9–18.5	3128.5–33.5	34
2041	18.118.3–18.5	31.228.6–33.8	34.2
2042	18.318.5–18.7	31.328.6–34.1	34.4
2043	18.518.6–19.1	31.528.7–34.4	34.6
2044	18.718.7–19.4	31.628.7–34.6	34.8
2045	1918.7–19.8	31.828.7–34.9	35
2046	19.218.8–20.2	31.928.7–35.1	35.2
2047	19.519–20.5	3228.8–35.3	35.4
2048	19.719.1–20.8	32.128.8–35.5	35.6
2049	2019.3–21.2	32.228.9–35.7	35.9
2050	20.219.4–21.5	32.329–35.9	36.1
2051	20.419.5–21.8	32.429.1–36.1	36.3
2052	20.719.6–22.1	32.629.2–36.3	36.5
2053	20.919.7–22.5	32.729.3–36.5	36.7
2054	21.219.8–22.8	32.929.4–36.6	36.9
2055	21.419.9–23.1	33.129.6–36.9	37.1
2056	21.720–23.5	33.329.7–37.1	37.3
2057	21.920.1–23.8	33.529.8–37.3	37.5
2058	22.220.2–24.2	33.630–37.6	37.6
2059	22.420.2–24.5	33.830.1–37.9	37.8
2060	22.720.4–24.9	3430.2–38.2	37.9
2061	2320.4–25.3	34.130.3–38.5	38
2062	23.220.5–25.8	34.230.5–38.7	38.1
2063	23.520.6–26.2	34.430.6–39	38.3
2064	23.720.7–26.7	34.530.7–39.2	38.4
2065	2420.8–27.1	34.630.8–39.4	38.5
2066	24.320.9–27.5	34.830.9–39.6	38.6
2067	24.521–27.9	34.931–39.7	38.7
2068	24.821.1–28.4	3531.1–39.8	38.8
2069	25.121.2–28.8	35.131.2–39.9	38.9
2070	25.321.3–29.2	35.231.3–40	39
2071	25.621.3–29.7	35.331.4–40.1	39.1
2072	25.821.4–30.1	35.431.5–40.2	39.2
2073	26.121.5–30.5	35.531.5–40.3	39.3
2074	26.321.5–30.9	35.631.6–40.4	39.4
2075	26.621.6–31.3	35.731.7–40.5	39.5
2076	26.921.7–31.6	35.831.8–40.7	39.6
2077	27.121.7–32	35.931.9–40.7	39.7
2078	27.421.7–32.3	3632–40.8	39.8
2079	27.621.8–32.7	36.132.1–40.9	40
2080	27.921.9–33.1	36.232.2–41	40.1
2081	28.122–33.5	36.332.4–41.1	40.2
2082	28.422.1–33.9	36.432.5–41.2	40.3
2083	28.622.1–34.3	36.532.6–41.2	40.4
2084	28.922.2–34.6	36.632.6–41.3	40.5
2085	29.122.3–34.9	36.732.7–41.4	40.6
2086	29.422.4–35.3	36.832.9–41.6	40.7
2087	29.622.5–35.6	36.933–41.7	40.9
2088	29.922.6–35.9	37.133.1–41.9	41
2089	30.122.7–36.3	37.233.2–42	41.1
2090	30.322.9–36.6	37.333.3–42.2	41.2
2091	30.623–36.8	37.433.4–42.3	41.3
2092	30.823.1–37	37.533.5–42.4	41.4
2093	3123.2–37.3	37.633.5–42.6	41.5
2094	31.223.3–37.5	37.733.6–42.7	41.6
2095	31.523.4–37.8	37.833.7–42.8	41.7
2096	31.723.5–37.9	37.933.8–43	41.8
2097	31.923.7–38.2	3833.9–43.1	41.9
2098	32.123.7–38.4	38.134–43.2	42
2099	32.323.8–38.6	38.234.1–43.3	42
2100	32.523.9–38.8	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

Somalia vs South Africa: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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