In 2024, the median age in Africa was 19.2 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 17 years. Africa is the youngest continent in the world and presents the highest share of inhabitants aged 14 years and younger, that is, 40 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 57 years for men and 59 for women. 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 4.12 children per woman, compared to a worldwide average of 2.31 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 2023, people living in Nigeria amounted to around 224 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. Nigeria and Ethiopia also had high rates, with 5.24 and 4.16 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.

In 2021, there were around 207 million children aged 0-4 years in Africa. In total, the population aged 17 years and younger amounted to approximately 650 million. In contrast, only approximately 48 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 2023, around 40 percent of the population 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 population 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 Algeria leading the ranking in 2023.

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.

Algeria had the highest life expectancy at birth in Africa as of 2023. A newborn infant was expected to live over 77 years in the country. Cabo Verde, Tunisia, and Mauritius followed, with a life expectancy between 77 and 75 years. On the other hand, Chad registered the lowest average, at nearly 54 years. Overall, the life expectancy in Africa was almost 63 years in the same year.

For those born in 2023, the average life expectancy at birth across Africa was 61 years for men and 65 years for women. The average life expectancy globally was 70 years for men and 75 years for women in mid-2023.

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 bleak picture. Comparison of life expectancy by continent shows the gap in average life expectancy between Africa and other continent regions. Africa trails Latin America and the Caribbean, the continent with the second lowest average life expectancy, by 10 years for men and 12 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 Lesotho had the lowest life expectancy for those born in 2023 for men and women, 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 dramatically from 0.43 to 0.55 between 2000 and 2021, 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 Africa has decreased from around 1.3 million in 2015 to 760,000 in 2022.

This scatter chart displays median age (year) against expense (% of GDP) and is filtered where the region is Middle Africa. The data is about countries.

In 2023, the population of Africa was projected to grow by 2.34 percent compared to the previous year. The population growth rate on the continent has been constantly over 2.3 percent from 2000 onwards, and it peaked at 2.59 percent between 2012 and 2013. Despite a slowdown in the growth rate, the continent's population will continue to increase significantly in the coming years. The second-largest population worldwide In 2022, the total population of Africa amounted to around 1.4 billion. The number of inhabitants had grown steadily in the previous decades, rising from approximately 810 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 3.9 billion people, compared to 4.7 billion in Asia. The world's youngest continent The median age in Africa corresponded to 18.8 years in 2023. 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 10 percent. On the continent, Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in 2023.

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 layer shows the average household size in South Africa in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Province, District, Municipality, Main Place, Sub Place, and Small Area). Nationally, the average household size is 3.4 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age incrementsCount of population by marital statusThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the average household size in South Africa in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Province, District, Municipality, Main Place, Sub Place, and Small Area). Nationally, the average household size is 3.4 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age incrementsCount of population by marital statusThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

This layer shows the average household size in Tunisia in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Region, and Governorate). Nationally, the average household size is 3.9 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by marital statusCount of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This layer shows the average household size in Kenya in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and County). Nationally, the average household size is 3.8 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCounts of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Abstract

Stastistics South Africa (Stats SA), in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), conducted the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 (SADHS 2016) at the request of the National Department of Health (NDoH). Technical assistance was provided through The DHS Program. Timely information about the health of the nation is essential for monitoring and evaluation. Survey data collection took place from 27 June 2016 to 4 November 2016.

The primary objective of the SADHS 2016 is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the SADHS 2016 collected information on fertility levels; marriage; sexual activity; fertility preferences; awareness and use of contraceptives; breastfeeding practices; nutrition; childhood and maternal mortality; maternal health, including antenatal and postnatal care; key aspects of child health, including immunisation coverage and prevalence and treatment of acute respiratory infection (ARI), fever, and diarrhoea; potential exposure to the risk of HIV infection; coverage of HIV counselling and testing (HCT); and physical and sexual violence against women. Another critical objective of the SADHS 2016 is to provide estimates of health and behaviour indicators for adults age 15 and older, including use of tobacco, alcohol, and codeine-containing medications. In addition, the SADHS 2016 provides estimates of the prevalence of anaemia among children age 6-59 months and adults age 15 and older, and the prevalence of hypertension, anaemia, high HbA1c levels (an indicator of diabetes), and HIV among adults age 15 and older.

The information collected through the SADHS 2016 is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies for improving the health of the country’s population.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Household Woman Man Children

Universe

the survey covered All household members, all Wome age 15 years and olde, Men age 15 years and older and children

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sampling frame used for the SADHS 2016 is the Statistics South Africa Master Sample Frame (MSF), which was created using Census 2011 enumeration areas (EAs). In the MSF, EAs of manageable size were treated as primary sampling units (PSUs), whereas small neighbouring EAs were pooled together to form new PSUs, and large EAs were split into conceptual PSUs. The frame contains information about the geographic type (urban, traditional, or farm) and the estimated number of residential dwelling units (DUs) in each PSU. The sampling convention used by Stats SA is DUs. One or more households may be located in any given DU; recent surveys have found 1.03 households per DU on average.

Administratively, South Africa is divided into nine provinces. The sample for the SADHS 2016 was designed to provide estimates of key indicators for the country as a whole, for urban and non-urban areas separately, and for each of the nine provinces in South Africa. To ensure that the survey precision is comparable across provinces, PSUs were allocated by a power allocation rather than a proportional allocation. Each province was stratified into urban, farm, and traditional areas, yielding 26 sampling strata.

The SADHS 2016 followed a stratified two-stage sample design with a probability proportional to size sampling of PSUs at the first stage and systematic sampling of DUs at the second stage. The Census 2011 DU count was used as the PSU measure of size. A total of 750 PSUs were selected from the 26 sampling strata, yielding 468 selected PSUs in urban areas, 224 PSUs in traditional areas, and 58 PSUs in farm areas.

A listing operation was carried out in all selected PSUs from January to March 2016, and the updated lists of DUs served as a sampling frame for the selection of DUs in the second stage. In the second stage of selection, a fixed number of 20 DUs per cluster were selected with systematic selection from the created listing. All households in a selected DU were eligible for interviews.

Some of the selected PSUs were informal, unstructured settlements with no clear identifications of DUs. To ensure listing coverage within each informal, unstructured PSU selected, segmentation was carried out, with the PSU divided into multiple segments of about 20 DUs each. Only one segment was selected at random for the survey; in segments with 20 DUs or fewer, all DUs in the segment were eligible for the survey. In segments with more than 20 DUs, 20 DUs were randomly selected and were eligible for the survey. A cluster in the SADHS 2016 is therefore either a PSU or a segment of a PSU.

In half of selected DUs, all households were eligible for interviews with the Household Questionnaire, and all women age 15-49 who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who stayed in the household the night before the survey were eligible for interviews with a standard individual questionnaire. Within this subsample, households in every other DU were eligible to have their salt tested for the presence of iodine.

In the remaining half of DUs, all households were eligible for interviews with the Household Questionnaire, and all women and men age 15 and older who were either permanent residents of the selected households or visitors who stayed in the household the night before the survey were eligible for individual interviews and for biomarker collection. Women age 15-49 and men age 15-59 were eligible for the standard individual questionnaire, as well as a South Africa-specific module on adult health; women age 50 and older and men age 60 and older were eligible for a few sections of the individual questionnaire and the adult health module. In addition, children age 0-59 months were eligible for biomarker collection.

Finally, in all households in selected DUs, one woman age 18 and older was selected for a module on domestic violence. In addition, for each child age 0-5 whose biological mother did not live in the household, a guardian was eligible to complete the Caregiver’s Questionnaire.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

Five questionnaires were used in the SADHS 2016: the Household Questionnaire, the individual Woman’s Questionnaire, the individual Man’s Questionnaire, the Caregiver’s Questionnaire, and the Biomarker Questionnaire. These questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s standard Demographic and Health Survey questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to South Africa. Input was solicited from various stakeholders representing government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organisations, and international donors. After the preparation of the questionnaires in English, the questionnaires were translated into South Africa’s 10 other official languages. In addition, information about the fieldworkers for the survey was collected through a self-administered Fieldworker Questionnaire.

Cleaning operations

All electronic data files for the SADHS 2016 were transferred via the IFSS to the Stats SA head office in Pretoria, where they were stored on a password-protected computer. The data processing operation included secondary editing, which required resolution of computer-identified inconsistencies and coding of open-ended questions. The data were processed by a core group of four people; secondary editing was completed by 11 people. All persons involved in data processing took part in the main fieldwork training, and they were supervised by senior staff from Stats SA with support from ICF. Data editing was accomplished using CSPro software. Secondary editing was initiated in October 2016 and completed in February 2017. Checking inconsistencies in dates of immunisations was aided by the digital images of the immunisation page of the Road-to-Health booklet that had been collected on the tablet by fieldworkers at the time of the interview for that purpose.

Appropriate analysis weights were calculated, taking the design probabilities and the response rate into account. Standard methods of analysis (Rutstein and Rojas 2006) were applied involving conversion of all dates to century month codes to facilitate calculation of ages at the time of different life events.

Response rate

A total of 15,292 households were selected for the sample, of which 13,288 were occupied. Of the occupied households, 11,083 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 83%.

In the interviewed households, 9,878 eligible women age 15-49 were identified for individual interviews; interviews were completed with 8,514 women, yielding a response rate of 86%. In the subsample of households selected for the male survey, 4,952 eligible men age 15-59 were identified and 3,618 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 73%. In this same subsample, 12,717 eligible adults age 15 and older were identified and 10,336 were successfully interviewed with the adult health module, yielding a response rate of 81%. Response rates were consistently lower in urban areas than in nonurban areas.

This statistic shows average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2012 to 2022. Sub-Saharan Africa includes almost all countries south of the Sahara desert. In 2022, the average life expectancy at birth in Sub-Saharan Africa was 60.74 years.

Life expectancy from birth in Africa was just over 36 years in 1950. As a wave of independence movements and decolonization swept the continent between the 1950s and early 1970s, life expectancy rose greatly in Africa; particularly due to improvements and control over medical services, better sanitation and the widespread promotion of vaccinations in the country resulted in a sharp decrease in child mortality; one of the most significant reasons for Africa’s low life expectancy rates. Life expectancy in the continent would continue to steadily increase for much of the second half of the 20th century, however, life expectancy would flatline at around 52 years in the latter half of the 1980s, as the HIV/AIDS epidemic quickly grew to become one of the leading causes of death in the continent. After hovering around the low-fifties in the 1980s to and 1990s, life expectancy would begin to rise again at the turn of the millennium, and is estimated to be over 64 years in 2020.

In 2022, around 55 percent of the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa was aged 15 to 64 years. Moreover, children younger than 15 years constituted a large 42 percent of the inhabitants. Overall, Africa has a young population. Only three 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.

In 2023, the average life expectancy of the world was 70 years for men and 75 years for women. The lowest life expectancies were found in Africa, while Oceania and Europe had the highest.

What is life expectancy?

Life expectancy is defined as a statistical measure of how long a person may live, based on demographic factors such as gender, current age, and most importantly the year of their birth. The most commonly used measure of life expectancy is life expectancy at birth or at age zero. The calculation is based on the assumption that mortality rates at each age were to remain constant in the future.

Life expectancy has changed drastically over time, especially during the past 200 years. In the early 20th century, the average life expectancy at birth in the developed world stood at 31 years. It has grown to an average of 70 and 75 years for males and females respectively, and is expected to keep on growing with advances in medical treatment and living standard continuing.

Highest and lowest life expectancy worldwide

Life expectancy still varies greatly between different regions and countries of the world. The biggest impact on life expectancy is the quality of public health, medical care, and diet. As of 2021, the countries with the highest life expectancy were Japan, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and South Korea, all at 84 years. Most of the countries with the lowest life expectancy are mostly African countries. The ranking was led by the Chad, Nigeria, and Lesotho with 53 years.

According to 2023 estimations, Monaco's population had the highest median age of 56.2 years worldwide. Furthermore, the lowest listed countries are all from the African continent, with Niger recording a median age of nearly 15 years old.