List of countries by median age

Median age is the age that divides a population into two equal groups, with half of the population younger than that age and half older.

As of 2026, The Holy See has the highest median age at 56.21 years, followed by Monaco (53.11 years) and Saint Helena (50.97 years). Along with Japan and Martinique, these three bring the total number of countries and dependent territories with a median age above 50 years to five.

A total of 63 countries and dependent territories have a median age above 40 years. Of these, 42 are in Europe, 12 are in North America, and 7 are in Asia. Meanwhile, 135 countries and territories have a median age above 30 years, meaning that more than half of their populations are older than 30.

With half of its population below the age of 14.63 years, the Central African Republic is the youngest country in the world and the only one with a median age below 15 years. Globally, 38 countries and territories have more than half of their population below the age of 20. Of these, 11 of the youngest and 35 in total are in Africa, while two are in Asia and one is in Oceania.

There are large differences in median age between countries. The Holy See, which has the oldest population in the world, has a median age about 3.84 times higher than that of the Central African Republic, the country with the youngest population. The contrast is also evident across the rankings: the median age in many of the top 50 countries and territories is nearly twice or more than that of those in the bottom 50.

The median age has increased in 215 of the 237 countries and territories over the past seven decades. The Holy See, Saint Helena, and Martinique recorded the largest gains, each increasing by more than 30 years since 1950. Overall, 34 countries and territories have seen their median age rise by more than 20 years during this period. At the other end of the scale, the Central African Republic recorded the largest decrease, at 6.58 years, followed by Gabon at 5.52 years.