Mapping the World’s Youngest and Oldest Countries

Mapping the World’s Youngest and Oldest Countries

Country age demographics are determined by two key factors: fertility and mortality.

Throughout history, it was typical to see both birth and death rates at higher levels. But today, in most parts of the world, women are having fewer children, and innovations in healthcare and technology mean we are all living longer. The average person today lives to 72.6 years old, while the rate of births per woman has fallen to 2.5.

These trends have drastically altered the demographics of mature economies, resulting in a much older population. In many developing countries, however, births still outweigh deaths, resulting in populations that skew younger.

This visualization uses data from the World Bank to examine the countries with the highest shares of old and young people.

The Fountain of Youth

By 2030, the United Nations estimates there will be 1.3 billion people on the planet between the ages of 15-24. Proving to be a fountain of youth globally, the continent of Africa boasts the top 10 countries with the largest shares of young people in the world.

Somalia, Zambia, and the DRC are just a few to crack the top 10 list. The youngest country in the world is Niger, where almost 50% of the population is below the age of 15.

Here’s a full list of global countries, sorted by percentage of population under 15 years old:

Country	Share of Population Younger Than 15 (% of total, 2019)
🇳🇪 Niger	49.8%
🇲🇱 Mali	47.3%
🇹🇩 Chad	46.8%
🇦🇴 Angola	46.6%
🇺🇬 Uganda	46.5%
🇸🇴 Somalia	46.4%
🇨🇩 Congo, Dem. Rep.	46.0%
🇧🇮 Burundi	45.4%
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	44.7%
🇿🇲 Zambia	44.5%
🇲🇿 Mozambique	44.4%
🇬🇲 The Gambia	44.1%
🇹🇿 Tanzania	43.8%
🇳🇬 Nigeria	43.7%
🇲🇼 Malawi	43.5%
🇬🇳 Guinea	43.4%
🇸🇳 Senegal	42.8%
🇦🇫 Afghanistan	42.5%
🇨🇲 Cameroon	42.4%
🇧🇯 Benin	42.2%
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	42.2%
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	42.2%
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe	42.1%
🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire	41.7%
🇸🇸 South Sudan	41.6%
🇨🇬 Congo	41.5%
🇹🇬 Togo	41.0%
🇱🇷 Liberia	40.8%
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	40.7%
🇲🇬 Madagascar	40.4%
🇪🇹 Ethiopia	40.3%
🇸🇩 Sudan	40.2%
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands	40.1%
🇲🇷 Mauritania	39.9%
🇷🇼 Rwanda	39.8%
🇰🇲 Comoros	39.3%
🇰🇪 Kenya	39.2%
🇾🇪 Yemen	39.2%
🇻🇺 Vanuatu	38.7%
🇮🇶 Iraq	38.0%
🇼🇸 Samoa	37.9%
🇸🇿 Eswatini	37.8%
🇬🇭 Ghana	37.4%
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste	37.3%
🇬🇦 Gabon	37.2%
🇹🇯 Tajikistan	37.1%
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	37.0%
🇳🇦 Namibia	36.9%
🇰🇮 Kiribati	35.8%
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	35.5%
🇵🇰 Pakistan	35.1%
🇹🇴Tonga	35.1%
🇬🇹 Guatemala	33.9%
🇧🇼 Botswana	33.8%
🇪🇬 Egypt	33.8%
🇯🇴 Jordan	33.6%
🇭🇹 Haiti	32.9%
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	32.5%
🇱🇸 Lesotho	32.5%
🇱🇦 Laos	32.3%
🇫🇲 Micronesia	31.5%
🇭🇳 Honduras	31.2%
🇰🇭 Cambodia	31.1%
🇸🇾 Syria	31.1%
🇲🇳 Mongolia	30.8%
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	30.8%
🇧🇴 Bolivia	30.6%
🇩🇿 Algeria	30.6%
🇵🇭 Philippines	30.5%
🇳🇮 Nicaragua	29.9%
🇧🇿 Belize	29.7%
🇳🇵 Nepal	29.6%
🇫🇯 Fiji	29.3%
🇩🇯 Djibouti	29.2%
🇵🇾 Paraguay	29.2%
🇿🇦 South Africa	29.0%
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	28.9%
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	28.8%
🇨🇻 Cape Verde	28.4%
🇱🇾 Libya	28.1%
🇬🇾 Guyana	27.9%
🇮🇱 Israel	27.9%
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	27.7%
🇪🇨 Ecuador	27.7%
🇻🇪 Venezuela	27.4%
🇧🇩 Bangladesh	27.2%
🇲🇦 Morocco	27.0%
🇸🇻 El Salvador	26.9%
🇸🇷 Suriname	26.9%
🇵🇦 Panama	26.8%
🇮🇳 India	26.6%
🇮🇩 Indonesia	26.2%
🇲🇽 Mexico	26.2%
🇲🇲 Myanmar	25.9%
🇱🇧 Lebanon	25.6%
🇧🇹 Bhutan	25.3%
🇵🇪 Peru	25.3%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	24.9%
🇮🇷 Iran	24.7%
🇦🇷 Argentina	24.6%
🇹🇷 Turkey	24.3%
🇹🇳 Tunisia	24.2%
🇬🇺 Guam	24.1%
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	24.0%
🇬🇩 Grenada	23.7%
🇲🇾 Malaysia	23.7%
🇸🇨 Seychelles	23.7%
🇯🇲 Jamaica	23.5%
🇦🇿Azerbaijan	23.4%
🇻🇳 Vietnam	23.2%
🇧🇳 Brunei	22.6%
🇨🇴 Colombia	22.6%
🇵🇫 French Polynesia	22.6%
🇳🇨 New Caledonia	22.4%
🇴🇲 Oman	22.4%
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines	22.2%
🇧🇸 Bahamas	22.1%
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda	22.0%
🇰🇼 Kuwait	21.6%
🇮🇪 Ireland	21.2%
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	21.1%
🇧🇷 Brazil	21.0%
🇦🇲 Armenia	20.8%
🇺🇾 Uruguay	20.5%
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	20.3%
🇬🇪 Georgia	20.0%
🇰🇵 North Korea	20.0%
🇲🇻 Maldives	19.9%
🇮🇸 Iceland	19.6%
🇳🇿 New Zealand	19.6%
🇨🇱 Chile	19.5%
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands	19.5%
🇦🇺 Australia	19.3%
🇧🇭 Bahrain	18.7%
🇨🇼 Curacao	18.5%
🇺🇸 United States	18.5%
🇱🇨 St. Lucia	18.2%
🇲🇪 Montenegro	18.2%
🇷🇺 Russia	18.2%
🇨🇳 China	17.8%
🇫🇷 France	17.8%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	17.7%
🇦🇼 Aruba	17.6%
🇸🇪 Sweden	17.6%
🇦🇱 Albania	17.4%
🇳🇴 Norway	17.4%
🇲🇺 Mauritius	17.3%
🇧🇪 Belgium	17.1%
🇧🇧 Barbados	17.1%
🇧🇾 Belarus	17.0%
🇹🇭 Thailand	16.8%
🇨🇾 Cyprus	16.7%
🇪🇪 Estonia	16.5%
🇩🇰 Denmark	16.4%
🇲🇰 North Macedonia	16.4%
🇱🇻 Latvia	16.3%
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	16.3%
🇨🇺 Cuba	16.0%
🇫🇮 Finland	16.0%
🇲🇩 Moldova	15.9%
🇳🇱 Netherlands	15.9%
🇺🇦 Ukraine	15.9%
🇨🇦 Canada	15.8%
🇨🇿 Czech Republic	15.7%
🇱🇺 Luxembourg	15.7%
🇷🇴 Romania	15.6%
🇷🇸 Serbia	15.5%
🇸🇰 Slovakia	15.5%
🇵🇱 Poland	15.2%
Channel Islands	15.1%
🇱🇹 Lithuania	15.1%
🇸🇮 Slovenia	15.1%
🇨🇭 Switzerland	14.9%
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	14.7%
🇧🇬 Bulgaria	14.7%
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	14.7%
🇪🇸 Spain	14.6%
🇭🇷 Croatia	14.6%
🇦🇹 Austria	14.4%
🇭🇺 Hungary	14.4%
🇲🇹 Malta	14.3%
🇲🇴 Macao SAR, China	14.0%
🇬🇷 Greece	13.9%
🇩🇪 Germany	13.8%
🇶🇦 Qatar	13.6%
🇵🇹 Portugal	13.3%
🇮🇹 Italy	13.2%
🇰🇷 South Korea	12.7%
🇯🇵 Japan	12.6%
🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR, China	12.3%
🇸🇬 Singapore	12.3%

Young countries have significant opportunities ahead of them. A younger population means a larger upcoming workforce and more opportunities for innovation and economic growth.

While domestic markets in Africa grow in terms of labor supply, innovation, and potential consumers, there are also challenges that arise in these countries. Corruption, political instability and unemployment, particularly in Africa, are all potential barriers to prosperity for the continent’s Gen Z population.

Populations Skewing Older

The world’s oldest country is Japan, where 28% of the population is older than 65. However, it’s an anomaly—the rest of the oldest countries in the top 10 are all in Europe.

Globally, it’s the 65+ age group that is growing the fastest. According to the same UN estimates, it is predicted that by 2050 that one in six people will be over 65 years old.

Here’s a full list of global countries, sorted by percentage of population over 65 years old:

Country	Share of Population Older Than 65 (% of total, 2019)
🇯🇵 Japan	28.0%
🇮🇹 Italy	23.0%
🇵🇹 Portugal	22.4%
🇫🇮 Finland	22.1%
🇬🇷 Greece	21.9%
🇩🇪 Germany	21.5%
🇧🇬 Bulgaria	21.2%
🇭🇷 Croatia	20.8%
🇲🇹 Malta	20.8%
🇫🇷 France	20.3%
🇱🇻 Latvia	20.3%
🇸🇪 Sweden	20.1%
🇸🇮 Slovenia	20.1%
🇱🇹 Lithuania	20.1%
🇪🇪 Estonia	19.9%
🇩🇰 Denmark	19.9%
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands	19.8%
🇨🇿 Czech Republic	19.8%
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	19.6%
🇭🇺 Hungary	19.6%
🇪🇸 Spain	19.6%
🇳🇱 Netherlands	19.6%
🇦🇹 Austria	19.0%
🇧🇪 Belgium	19.0%
🇨🇭 Switzerland	18.8%
🇷🇴 Romania	18.7%
🇷🇸 Serbia	18.7%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	18.5%
🇵🇱 Poland	18.1%
🇨🇦 Canada	17.6%
Channel Islands	17.6%
🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR, China	17.4%
🇳🇴 Norway	17.2%
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	17.2%
🇨🇼 Curaçao	17.1%
🇺🇦 Ukraine	16.7%
🇧🇧 Barbados	16.2%
🇺🇸 United States	16.2%
🇸🇰 Slovakia	16.1%
🇳🇿 New Zealand	15.9%
🇦🇺 Australia	15.9%
🇨🇺 Cuba	15.5%
🇲🇪 Montenegro	15.3%
🇧🇾 Belarus	15.2%
🇮🇸 Iceland	15.1%
🇷🇺 Russia	15.0%
🇬🇪 Georgia	15.0%
🇰🇷 South Korea	15.0%
🇺🇾 Uruguay	14.9%
🇱🇺 Luxembourg	14.2%
🇮🇪 Ireland	14.2%
🇦🇱 Albania	14.2%
🇲🇰 North Macedonia	14.0%
🇦🇼 Aruba	14.0%
🇨🇾 Cyprus	14.0%
🇹🇭 Thailand	12.4%
🇸🇬 Singapore	12.3%
🇮🇱 Israel	12.2%
🇲🇩 Moldova	12.0%
🇲🇺 Mauritius	11.9%
🇨🇱 Chile	11.8%
🇦🇲 Armenia	11.4%
🇨🇳 China	11.4%
🇦🇷 Argentina	11.2%
🇲🇴 Macao SAR, China	11.2%
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	11.1%
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	10.8%
🇬🇺 Guam	10.1%
🇱🇨 St. Lucia	10.0%
🇨🇷 Costa Rica	9.8%
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines	9.7%
🇬🇩 Grenada	9.6%
🇳🇨 New Caledonia	9.4%
🇰🇵 North Korea	9.2%
🇧🇷 Brazil	9.2%
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda	9.0%
🇯🇲 Jamaica	8.9%
🇨🇴 Colombia	8.7%
🇹🇷 Turkey	8.7%
🇵🇫 French Polynesia	8.6%
🇹🇳 Tunisia	8.5%
🇸🇻 El Salvador	8.4%
🇵🇪 Peru	8.3%
🇵🇦 Panama	8.3%
🇸🇨 Seychelles	7.8%
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	7.6%
🇻🇪 Venezuela	7.6%
🇻🇳 Vietnam	7.5%
🇧🇸 Bahamas	7.4%
🇲🇽 Mexico	7.4%
🇪🇨 Ecuador	7.3%
🇧🇴 Bolivia	7.3%
🇲🇦 Morocco	7.3%
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	7.2%
🇱🇧 Lebanon	7.2%
🇸🇷 Suriname	7.0%
🇲🇾 Malaysia	6.9%
🇬🇾 Guyana	6.7%
🇵🇾 Paraguay	6.6%
🇩🇿 Algeria	6.5%
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	6.4%
🇮🇳 India	6.3%
🇮🇷 Iran	6.3%
🇧🇹 Bhutan	6.0%
🇮🇩 Indonesia	6.0%
🇲🇲 Myanmar	6.0%
🇹🇴 Tonga	5.9%
🇳🇵 Nepal	5.7%
🇫🇯 Fiji	5.6%
🇳🇮 Nicaragua	5.4%
🇿🇦 South Africa	5.4%
🇵🇭 Philippines	5.3%
🇪🇬 Egypt	5.2%
🇧🇳 Brunei	5.2%
🇧🇩 Bangladesh	5.1%
🇭🇹 Haiti	5.0%
🇼🇸 Samoa	4.9%
🇬🇹 Guatemala	4.9%
🇱🇸 Lesotho	4.9%
🇧🇿 Belize	4.8%
🇭🇳 Honduras	4.8%
🇰🇭 Cambodia	4.7%
🇨🇻 Cape Verde	4.6%
🇸🇾 Syria	4.6%
🇩🇯 Djibouti	4.6%
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan	4.6%
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	4.5%
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	4.5%
🇱🇾 Libya	4.4%
🇧🇼 Botswana	4.3%
🇵🇰 Pakistan	4.3%
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste	4.2%
🇫🇲 Micronesia	4.1%
🇲🇳 Mongolia	4.1%
🇱🇦 Laos	4.1%
🇰🇮 Kiribati	4.0%
🇸🇿 Eswatini	4.0%
🇯🇴 Jordan	3.8%
🇲🇻 Maldives	3.6%
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands	3.6%
🇸🇩 Sudan	3.6%
🇻🇺 Vanuatu	3.6%
🇳🇦 Namibia	3.6%
🇬🇦 Gabon	3.5%
🇪🇹 Ethiopia	3.5%
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	3.5%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	3.4%
🇮🇶 Iraq	3.3%
🇸🇸 South Sudan	3.3%
🇱🇷 Liberia	3.2%
🇧🇯 Benin	3.2%
🇲🇷 Mauritania	3.1%
🇸🇳 Senegal	3.0%
🇬🇭 Ghana	3.0%
🇹🇯 Tajikistan	3.0%
🇰🇲 Comoros	3.0%
🇲🇬 Madagascar	3.0%
🇷🇼 Rwanda	3.0%
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	3.0%
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	2.9%
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe	2.9%
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	2.9%
🇬🇳 Guinea	2.9%
🇾🇪 Yemen	2.9%
🇸🇴 Somalia	2.8%
🇹🇬 Togo	2.8%
🇲🇿 Mozambique	2.8%
🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire	2.8%
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	2.8%
🇨🇫 Central African Republic	2.8%
🇰🇼 Kuwait	2.7%
🇳🇬 Nigeria	2.7%
🇨🇲 Cameroon	2.7%
🇨🇬 Congo	2.7%
🇲🇼 Malawi	2.6%
🇹🇿 Tanzania	2.6%
🇦🇫 Afghanistan	2.6%
🇳🇪 Niger	2.5%
🇬🇲 The Gambia	2.5%
🇧🇭 Bahrain	2.5%
🇲🇱 Mali	2.4%
🇹🇩 Chad	2.4%
🇴🇲 Oman	2.4%
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	2.4%
🇰🇪 Kenya	2.4%
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	2.4%
🇧🇮 Burundi	2.3%
🇦🇴 Angola	2.1%
🇿🇲 Zambia	2.1%
🇺🇬 Uganda	1.9%
🇶🇦 Qatar	1.5%
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	1.1%

Fewer births, and a resulting older population, is a trend attributed to the changing lifestyles of women. For example, Japan’s fertility rate has fallen to less than 1.5 children per woman due to modern access to contraceptives and the prioritization of work over marriage and family life.

However, fewer young people also means a smaller workforce on the horizon and a shrinking domestic market. There is also a rising social cost of caring for the elderly, as longer lifespans have resulted in a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and an increasing inability to care for oneself. This can result in an increased tax burden on the diminishing younger, working population.

Another Perspective on the Data

Looking at the data from the opposite angle also reveals information about our world. Here’s a look at the countries with the lowest proportions of younger or older people.

Hong Kong and Singapore have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world (1.1), so it’s no surprise to see low numbers of children in their demographic data.

In a country like the United Arab Emirates, the majority of the population is made up of foreign workers, so the number of people in the 65+ age group is extremely low. In the coming decades though, the situation is expected to shift dramatically with one in every five Emiratis residing that age group by 2050.

The Big Picture

While each country has its own unique demographic make up, one thing is clear. As education and wealth levels rise around the world, fertility rates are dropping almost everywhere.

The trend of long life expectancies and fewer births is likely to continue, but young outliers will remain and they present immense economic potential.