In 2024, the median age in Africa was **** years, meaning that half of the population was older and half was younger than that age. The median age on the continent increased compared to 2000 when it was around ** years. Africa is the youngest continent in the world and presents the highest share of inhabitants aged 14 years and younger, that is, ** percent of the total population. Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in Africa as of 2023.

Africa has the youngest population in the world. Among the 35 countries with the lowest median age worldwide, only three fall outside the continent. In 2023, the median age in Niger was 15.1 years, the youngest country. This means that at this age point, half of the population was younger and half older. A young population reflects several demographic characteristics of a country. For instance, together with a high population growth, life expectancy in Western Africa is low: this reached 58 years for men and 60 for women in 2024. Overall, Africa has the lowest life expectancy in the world.

Africa’s population is still growing Africa’s population growth can be linked to a high fertility rate, along with a drop in death rates. Despite the fertility rate on the continent following a constant declining trend, it remains far higher compared to all other regions worldwide. It was forecast to reach 4.02 children per woman, compared to a worldwide average of 2.25 children per woman in 2024. Furthermore, the crude death rate in Africa overall dropped, only increasing slightly during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The largest populations on the continent Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the most populous African countries. In 2025, people living in Nigeria amounted to over 237 million, while the number for the three other countries exceeded 100 million each. Of those, the Democratic Republic of Congo sustained the fourth-highest fertility rate in Africa in 2023. Nigeria and Ethiopia also had high rates, with 4.48 and 3.99 births per woman, respectively. Although such a high fertility rate is expected to slow down, it will still impact the population structure, growing younger nations.

List of African countries by median age of the total population and male and female median ages. Niger with an average age of 14.8 years old is the youngest country in Africa and the youngest country in the world.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in South Africa from 1950 to 2100*.The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. In 2020, the median age of the South African population was 27.3 years.

In 2023, there were around 211 million children aged 0-4 years in Africa. In total, the population aged 17 years and younger amounted to approximately 680 million. In contrast, only approximately 52 million individuals were aged 65 years and older as of the same year. The youngest continent in the world Africa is the continent with the youngest population worldwide. As of 2024, around 40 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa was aged 15 years and younger, compared to a global average of 25 percent. Although the median age on the continent has been increasing annually, it remains low at around 20 years. There are several reasons behind the low median age. One factor is the low life expectancy at birth: On average, the male and female populations in Africa live between 61 and 65 years, respectively. In addition, poor healthcare on the continent leads to high mortality, also among children and newborns, while the high fertility rate contributes to lowering the median age. Cross-country demographic differences Africa’s demographic characteristics are not uniform across the continent. The age structure of the population differs significantly from one country to another. For instance, Niger and Uganda have the lowest median age in Africa, at 15.1 and 16.1 years, respectively. Not surprisingly, these countries also register a high crude birth rate. On the other hand, North Africa is the region recording the highest life expectancy at birth, with Tunisia and Algeria leading the ranking in 2025.

List of African countries by median age. Niger average age is 14.8, the youngest African country and the youngest country in the world. The African islands of Seychelles is the oldest African country with an average age of 36.8.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by continent using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Northern Africa. The data is about countries.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in the Central African Republic from 1950 to 2100*.The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. In 2020, the median age of the Central African Republic population was 14.4 years.

This bar chart displays median age (year) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Africa. The data is about countries.

This scatter chart displays median age (year) against population (people) in Western Africa. The data is about countries.

Tunisia had the highest projected life expectancy at birth in Africa as of 2025. A newborn infant was expected to live about 77 years in the country. Algeria, Cabo Verde, Morocco, and Mauritius followed, with a life expectancy between 77 and 75 years. On the other hand, Nigeria registered the lowest average, at 54.8 years. Overall, the life expectancy in Africa was just over 64 years in the same year.

South Africa ZA: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 65.671 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.613 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 56.842 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.671 % in 2017 and a record low of 53.937 % in 1966. South Africa ZA: Population: as % of Total: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

For those born in 2024, the average life expectancy at birth across Africa was 62 years for men and 66 years for women. The average life expectancy globally was 71 years for men and 76 years for women in mid-2024. Additional information on life expectancy in Africa With the exception of North Africa where life expectancy is around the worldwide average for men and women, life expectancy across all African regions paints a negative picture. Comparison of life expectancy by continent shows the gap in average life expectancy between Africa and other continents. Africa trails Asia, the continent with the second lowest average life expectancy, by 10 years for men and 11 years for women. Life expectancy in Africa is the lowest globally Moreover, countries from across the African regions dominate the list of countries with the lowest life expectancy worldwide. Nigeria and Chad had the lowest life expectancy for those born in 2024 for women and men, respectively. However, there is reason for hope despite the low life expectancy rates in many African countries. The Human Development index rating in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased significantly from nearly 0.44 to 0.57 between 2000 and 2023, demonstrating an improvement in quality of life and, as a result, greater access to vital services that allow people to live longer lives. One such improvement has been successful efforts to reduce the rate of aids infection and research into combating its effects. The number of new HIV infections across sub-Saharan Africa has decreased from over 1.3 million in 2015 to close to 650,000 in 2024. However, the sub-region still accounts for 50 percent of the total new HIV infections.

In 2024, the population of Africa was projected to grow by 2.27 percent compared to the previous year. The population growth rate on the continent has been constantly over 2.5 percent from 2000 onwards, and it peaked at 2.63 percent in 2013. Despite a slowdown in the growth rate after that, the continent's population will continue to increase significantly in the coming years. The second-largest population worldwide In 2023, the total population of Africa amounted to almost 1.5 billion. The number of inhabitants had grown steadily in the previous decades, rising from approximately 831 million in 2000. Driven by a decreasing mortality rate and a higher life expectancy at birth, the African population was forecast to increase to about 2.5 billion individuals by 2050. Africa is currently the second most populous continent worldwide after Asia. However, forecasts showed that Africa could gradually close the gap and almost reach the size of the Asian population in 2100. By that year, Africa might count 3.8 billion people, compared to 4.6 billion in Asia. The world's youngest continent The median age in Africa corresponded to 19.2 years in 2024. Although the median age has increased in recent years, the continent remains the youngest worldwide. In 2023, roughly 40 percent of the African population was aged 15 years and younger, compared to a global average of 25 percent. Africa recorded not only the highest share of youth but also the smallest elderly population worldwide. As of the same year, only three percent of Africa's population was aged 65 years and older. Africa and Latin America were the only regions below the global average of ten percent. On the continent, Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in 2023.

This bar chart displays median age (year) by demonym using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Africa. The data is about countries.

This bar chart displays median age (year) by continent using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Middle Africa. The data is about countries.

Central African Republic CF: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 100.879 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 101.180 % for 2022. Central African Republic CF: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 85.465 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 101.180 % in 2022 and a record low of 73.395 % in 1960. Central African Republic CF: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Central African Republic – Table CF.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.;World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Life Expectancy At Birth Male Years

This bar chart displays median age (year) by region using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Northern Africa. The data is about countries.

In 2024, around ** percent of the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa was aged 15 to 64 years. Moreover, children younger than 15 years constituted nearly ** percent of the inhabitants. Overall, Africa has a young population. Only ***** percent of the individuals in the Sub-Saharan region were aged 65 years and older. As of 2023, Niger, Uganda, Angola, and Mali had a median age below 16.5 years, the lowest on the continent.