In 2022, the state with the highest median age of its population was Maine at 45.1 years. Utah had the lowest median age at 32.1 years. View the distribution of the U.S. population by ethnicity here.

Additional information on the aging population in the United States

High birth rates during the so-called baby boom years that followed World War II followed by lower fertility and morality rates have left the United States with a serious challenge in the 21st Century. However, the issue of an aging population is certainly not an issue unique to the United States. The age distribution of the global population shows that other parts of the world face a similar issue.

Within the United States, the uneven distribution of populations aged 65 years and over among states offers both major challenges and potential solutions. On the one hand, federal action over the issue may be contentious as other states are set to harbor the costs of elderly care in states such as California and Florida. That said, domestic migration from comparably younger states may help to fill gaps in the workforce left by retirees in others.

Nonetheless, aging population issues are set to gain further prominence in the political and economic decisions made by policymakers regardless of the eventual distribution of America’s elderly. Analysis of the financial concerns of Americans by age shows many young people still decades from retirement hold strong concern over their eventual financial position.

Monaco is the country with the highest median age in the world. The population has a median age of around 57 years, which is around six years more than in Japan and Saint Pierre and Miquelon – the other countries that make up the top three. Southern European countries make up a large part of the top 20, with Italy, Slovenia, Greece, San Marino, Andorra, and Croatia all making the list. Low infant mortality means higher life expectancy Monaco and Japan also have the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, which contributes to the calculation of a higher life expectancy because fewer people are dying in the first years of life. Indeed, many of the nations with a high median age also feature on the list of countries with the highest average life expectancy, such as San Marino, Japan, Italy, and Lichtenstein. Demographics of islands and small countries Many smaller countries and island nations have populations with a high median age, such as Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which are both island territories within the British Isles. An explanation for this could be that younger people leave to seek work or education opportunities, while others choose to relocate there for retirement.

The statistic depicts the median age in Mexico from 1950 to 2100. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Mexico's population was 27.9 years.

In 2025, the average age of the population in Italy is estimated to be **** years. This figure constantly rose over the last decade. In 2010, the mean age was **** years, steadily growing in the following years. Recent studies indicate that the median age is projected to increase in the future as well. By 2050, it could reach **** years. Few births over the past years Italy has the highest share of the elderly population in Europe. In 2023, ** percent of the Italian inhabitants were aged 65 years and over. One of the main reasons for the population aging is the low number of births recorded in the past years. In fact, Italy counted about *** births every 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, the lowest figure recorded since 2002 at least. Longer lifespan In addition to a low birth rate, Italy is among the countries with the highest life expectancy worldwide. In 2024, life expectancy at birth for Italian women was **** years, whereas Italian men could expect to live up to **** years. A longer life expectancy combined with fewer births explain why the average age of Italian inhabitants has been rising recently.

This statistic shows the median age of the world population from 1950 to 2100. By 2100, the global median age is projected to be 41.9 years of age.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Ireland 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 Irish population was 37.3 years.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Saudi Arabia from 1950 to 2100. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Saudi Arabia's population was 28.5 years. See Saudi Arabia's population figures for comparison.

The statistic depicts the median age in France between 1950 and 2100. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2024, the median age of France's population was 42.07 years.

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.

The median age of Germans in 2025 was 45.5 years, meaning that half the German population was younger, half older. Following some fluctuation during the post-WWII baby boom waves, Germany's average age has been on an upwards trajectory since the 1970s, with a sharp rise in the 1990s and 2000s, although it has slowed in recent years. It is projected to peak at over 48 years in the 2040s, before plateauing around the 47 year mark for the remainder of the century. Aging in Germany This shift in the age makeup of Germany is driven by having fewer young people and more old people. While it has increased slightly in the last decade, the German fertility rate remains low. Fewer young people lead to a higher median age, as does rising life expectancy. These trends have significant economic and societal impacts, where workforces shrink and the elderly population places greater demand on healthcare systems and public finances, while families must increasingly care for elderly relatives. Regional and global trends The entire European Union, due to higher levels of development, shows an upward shift in its age distribution. While this shift is occurring globally, the level of Germany’s median age is particularly high. In many other parts of the world, particularly Subsaharan Africa, the proportion of young and old inhabitants is skewed sharply toward the young, pulling the median age lower.

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

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Taiwan 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 population of Taiwan was 41.7 years.

The average age across all municipalities in Denmark saw no significant changes in 2024 in comparison to the previous year 2023 and remained at around 42.4. Still, the average age reached its highest value in the observed period in 2024.

The information above provides insights on the average age of the French population between the years 2010 and 2023. We can thus observe that the average age of the French has continued to increase over the ten years presented: from 40.1 years on average, the French are passed to 42.4 years of average age.

In the last decade, the average age of the Dutch population increased year on year. Whereas the population had an average age of around 30.8 years in 1950, the average age reached 42.5 years by 2023. As a result, in this period the grey population pressure (the ratio of the non-working population compared to the working population) increased as well.

 Historical development  

Since the 1950s, the average age of the population has increased significantly. In nearly 70 years, the population’s average age grew by over ten years. This also caused a more than doubling of the grey population pressure in the country in this period, from 14 percent in 1950 to 33.1 percent in 2020. By 2060, the grey population pressure in the Netherlands is forecast to reach nearly 50 percent, meaning that for every working person in the country, there will also be a non-working person.

Comparison to Belgium  

The average age of the population in the Netherlands was comparable to the average age of the population in neighboring country Belgium, which reached 41.87 years in 2020. In Belgium too, the average age of the population is expected to increase in the future. By 2022, the average age here is forecast to reach 42.08 years.

This statistic shows the leading countries with the highest projected median age in 2050. By 2050, the Republic of Korea is projected to have the population with the highest median age, at 56.5 years.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Indonesia 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 Indonesian population was 29.1 years. Life in Indonesia The Republic of Indonesia is a sovereign state archipelago in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 islands, with the biggest three being Java, Sumatra and Borneo. In 2010, Indonesia reported a total population of around 238 million people, and it is estimated that this figure will increase to around 255 million inhabitants by 2015. The biggest cities in Indonesia are its capital Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. Jakarta alone is home to more than 9.6 million inhabitants. Currently, there are more than 7 billion people in the world and Asia is the continent with the largest population. More than 4 billion people lived in Asia in mid-2014. Indonesia is the second most populous country in Asia, behind China and the fourth most populous nation in the world. As a result of an improving economy and better health and living conditions, life expectancy in Indonesia is steadily increasing - between 2002 and 2012, it increased by almost 3 years . Due of a decreasing fertility rate, Indonesian parents are able to more easily provide for their families and the population is still increasing and living longer. The average age of the population in Indonesia is estimated to be around 28.4 years in 2015.

As of 2024, the average age of the German population was **** years. The average age has been increasing since 2011. The age group distribution in Germany confirms this.

The statistic depicts the median age in Italy from 1950 to 2100. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Italy's population was 46.4 years.

This statistic shows the median age of the population in Hong Kong from 1950 to 2100*. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Hong Kong's population was 44.4 years.