South Africa vs Zambia: Median age

Median age in 2023: 28.2 years in South Africa and 17.5 years in Zambia, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10.7 years, or 1.61 times that in Zambia.

Watch it change on the map

years · UN

South AfricaZambiaUN 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, South Africa ranked 139 and Zambia ranked 215 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (medium variant) puts South Africa at 38.3 years and Zambia at 34.4 years in 2100.
The world as a whole: 30.4 years in 2023.

Every year

years · UN

Year	South Africa	Zambia	World
2023	28.2	17.5	30.4
2022	27.9	17.3	30.1
2021	27.6	17.1	29.8
2020	27.3	16.9	29.6
2019	26.9	16.8	29.3
2018	26.5	16.6	29
2017	26.1	16.4	28.8
2016	25.7	16.3	28.5
2015	25.4	16.1	28.3
2014	25	16	28.1
2013	24.7	15.9	27.8
2012	24.3	15.8	27.6
2011	24	15.7	27.4
2010	23.6	15.6	27.2
2009	23.3	15.5	27
2008	23	15.5	26.7
2007	22.7	15.4	26.5
2006	22.4	15.3	26.3
2005	22.1	15.2	26.1
2004	21.9	15.1	25.9
2003	21.6	15.1	25.7
2002	21.3	15	25.5
2001	21.1	14.9	25.3
2000	20.8	14.8	25.1
1999	20.6	14.8	24.9
1998	20.3	14.7	24.7
1997	20.1	14.7	24.4
1996	20.2	14.7	24.2
1995	20.5	14.7	24
1994	20.9	14.7	23.8
1993	20.9	14.7	23.5
1992	20.5	14.7	23.3
1991	20.5	14.7	23.1
1990	20.3	14.6	22.9
1989	20	14.6	22.8
1988	19.8	14.6	22.6
1987	19.7	14.5	22.4
1986	19.5	14.5	22.2
1985	19.4	14.4	22
1984	19.2	14.4	21.9
1983	19	14.4	21.8
1982	18.8	14.3	21.7
1981	18.6	14.2	21.6
1980	18.4	14.2	21.5
1979	18.2	14.2	21.3
1978	18.1	14.3	21.1
1977	18	14.3	21
1976	17.9	14.4	20.8
1975	17.9	14.5	20.7
1974	17.8	14.6	20.5
1973	17.8	14.7	20.4
1972	17.7	14.9	20.4
1971	17.7	15	20.3
1970	17.7	15.2	20.3
1969	17.7	15.3	20.3
1968	17.8	15.3	20.4
1967	17.8	15.3	20.5
1966	17.8	15.4	20.6
1965	17.8	15.5	20.8
1964	17.8	15.6	21
1963	17.8	15.7	21.2
1962	17.8	15.7	21.4
1961	17.9	15.8	21.4
1960	17.9	15.9	21.5
1959	18	16	21.5
1958	18.1	16	21.5
1957	18.3	16.1	21.6
1956	18.4	16.2	21.7
1955	18.6	16.2	21.8
1954	18.7	16.3	21.9
1953	18.9	16.3	22
1952	19	16.4	22.1
1951	19.1	16.4	22.1
1950	19.2	16.4	22.2

UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100

Year	South Africa	Zambia	World
2024	28.528.3–28.6	17.717.6–17.8	30.6
2025	28.728.3–29	17.917.7–18.2	30.9
2026	28.928.3–29.4	18.217.8–18.6	31.1
2027	29.128.2–29.8	18.418–19	31.3
2028	29.328.2–30.1	18.618.1–19.4	31.6
2029	29.528.1–30.5	18.918.2–19.8	31.8
2030	29.628.1–30.8	19.118.3–20.2	32
2031	29.728–31.2	19.318.4–20.6	32.2
2032	29.927.9–31.5	19.618.5–21.1	32.4
2033	3027.9–31.8	19.818.6–21.5	32.6
2034	30.128–32.1	2018.7–21.9	32.8
2035	30.228.1–32.3	20.318.7–22.3	33
2036	30.328.1–32.5	20.518.8–22.8	33.2
2037	30.528.3–32.8	20.718.8–23.2	33.4
2038	30.628.4–33	20.918.9–23.7	33.6
2039	30.828.4–33.2	21.118.9–24.1	33.8
2040	3128.5–33.5	21.419–24.5	34
2041	31.228.6–33.8	21.619–25	34.2
2042	31.328.6–34.1	21.819–25.4	34.4
2043	31.528.7–34.4	2219–25.9	34.6
2044	31.628.7–34.6	22.219.1–26.3	34.8
2045	31.828.7–34.9	22.519.3–26.7	35
2046	31.928.7–35.1	22.719.4–27.2	35.2
2047	3228.8–35.3	22.919.6–27.6	35.4
2048	32.128.8–35.5	23.119.7–28	35.6
2049	32.228.9–35.7	23.419.9–28.4	35.9
2050	32.329–35.9	23.620–28.8	36.1
2051	32.429.1–36.1	23.820.1–29.3	36.3
2052	32.629.2–36.3	24.120.3–29.7	36.5
2053	32.729.3–36.5	24.320.4–30.1	36.7
2054	32.929.4–36.6	24.520.5–30.5	36.9
2055	33.129.6–36.9	24.720.6–30.9	37.1
2056	33.329.7–37.1	2520.8–31.2	37.3
2057	33.529.8–37.3	25.220.9–31.6	37.5
2058	33.630–37.6	25.421–31.9	37.6
2059	33.830.1–37.9	25.721.1–32.2	37.8
2060	3430.2–38.2	25.921.1–32.5	37.9
2061	34.130.3–38.5	26.121.2–32.7	38
2062	34.230.5–38.7	26.421.3–33	38.1
2063	34.430.6–39	26.621.4–33.3	38.3
2064	34.530.7–39.2	26.821.5–33.5	38.4
2065	34.630.8–39.4	27.121.6–33.8	38.5
2066	34.830.9–39.6	27.321.6–34.1	38.6
2067	34.931–39.7	27.521.7–34.3	38.7
2068	3531.1–39.8	27.721.8–34.6	38.8
2069	35.131.2–39.9	27.921.9–34.9	38.9
2070	35.231.3–40	28.222–35.1	39
2071	35.331.4–40.1	28.422.1–35.3	39.1
2072	35.431.5–40.2	28.622.3–35.6	39.2
2073	35.531.5–40.3	28.822.3–35.8	39.3
2074	35.631.6–40.4	2922.4–36.1	39.4
2075	35.731.7–40.5	29.222.5–36.3	39.5
2076	35.831.8–40.7	29.522.6–36.5	39.6
2077	35.931.9–40.7	29.722.8–36.7	39.7
2078	3632–40.8	29.922.9–37	39.8
2079	36.132.1–40.9	30.123–37.2	40
2080	36.232.2–41	30.323.1–37.4	40.1
2081	36.332.4–41.1	30.523.2–37.6	40.2
2082	36.432.5–41.2	30.723.3–37.7	40.3
2083	36.532.6–41.2	30.923.3–37.9	40.4
2084	36.632.6–41.3	31.123.4–38	40.5
2085	36.732.7–41.4	31.323.5–38.2	40.6
2086	36.832.9–41.6	31.523.6–38.3	40.7
2087	36.933–41.7	31.723.7–38.4	40.9
2088	37.133.1–41.9	3223.8–38.5	41
2089	37.233.2–42	32.223.9–38.7	41.1
2090	37.333.3–42.2	32.424–38.8	41.2
2091	37.433.4–42.3	32.624.2–39	41.3
2092	37.533.5–42.4	32.824.3–39.1	41.4
2093	37.633.5–42.6	3324.4–39.3	41.5
2094	37.733.6–42.7	33.224.5–39.4	41.6
2095	37.833.7–42.8	33.424.6–39.5	41.7
2096	37.933.8–43	33.624.7–39.6	41.8
2097	3833.9–43.1	33.824.8–39.7	41.9
2098	38.134–43.2	3424.9–39.8	42
2099	38.234.1–43.3	34.225–39.9	42
2100	38.334.1–43.4	34.425.1–40	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

South Africa vs Zambia: Median age

What the numbers say

Every year

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