Statizoid

Median age in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Median age was 16.94 years in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
16.94 years
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
225th
of 236 countries
All-time high
18.39 years
in 1950
All-time low
13.9 years
in 2002
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Median age in Afghanistan, 1950–2023

05101520195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for median age in Afghanistan is 16.94 years, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, median age in Afghanistan peaked at 18.39 years in 1950 and was at its lowest, 13.9 years, in 2002.

Afghanistan ranks 225th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Median age in Afghanistan, year by year

Year years Change
1950 18.39 years —
1951 18.37 years -0.1%
1952 18.33 years -0.2%
1953 18.29 years -0.2%
1954 18.24 years -0.3%
1955 18.19 years -0.3%
1956 18.14 years -0.3%
1957 18.08 years -0.3%
1958 18.02 years -0.3%
1959 17.95 years -0.4%
1960 17.86 years -0.5%
1961 17.78 years -0.5%
1962 17.71 years -0.4%
1963 17.64 years -0.4%
1964 17.58 years -0.3%
1965 17.52 years -0.3%
1966 17.46 years -0.4%
1967 17.38 years -0.5%
1968 17.26 years -0.7%
1969 17.11 years -0.8%
1970 16.97 years -0.8%
1971 16.84 years -0.8%
1972 16.71 years -0.8%
1973 16.59 years -0.7%
1974 16.47 years -0.7%
1975 16.36 years -0.7%
1976 16.25 years -0.7%
1977 16.15 years -0.6%
1978 16.04 years -0.7%
1979 15.94 years -0.7%
1980 15.82 years -0.7%
1981 15.71 years -0.7%
1982 15.61 years -0.7%
1983 15.51 years -0.6%
1984 15.41 years -0.6%
1985 15.32 years -0.6%
1986 15.24 years -0.5%
1987 15.17 years -0.4%
1988 15.11 years -0.4%
1989 15.06 years -0.4%
1990 15 years -0.4%
1991 14.93 years -0.5%
1992 14.85 years -0.6%
1993 14.77 years -0.6%
1994 14.67 years -0.7%
1995 14.56 years -0.8%
1996 14.44 years -0.8%
1997 14.32 years -0.8%
1998 14.2 years -0.9%
1999 14.08 years -0.8%
2000 13.99 years -0.7%
2001 13.93 years -0.5%
2002 13.9 years -0.2%
2003 13.9 years +0.0%
2004 13.92 years +0.2%
2005 13.98 years +0.4%
2006 14.06 years +0.6%
2007 14.17 years +0.8%
2008 14.3 years +0.9%
2009 14.45 years +1.0%
2010 14.61 years +1.1%
2011 14.78 years +1.2%
2012 14.95 years +1.2%
2013 15.12 years +1.2%
2014 15.3 years +1.2%
2015 15.49 years +1.2%
2016 15.68 years +1.2%
2017 15.87 years +1.2%
2018 16.05 years +1.2%
2019 16.23 years +1.1%
2020 16.41 years +1.1%
2021 16.57 years +1.0%
2022 16.75 years +1.1%
2023 16.94 years +1.1%

Afghanistan compared with similar countries

  • Afghanistan's 16.94 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 17.97 years, 94% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Afghanistan's 16.94 years is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 28.32 years, 60% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 18.2 years 17.95 years 18.39 years 10
1960s 17.53 years 17.11 years 17.86 years 10
1970s 16.43 years 15.94 years 16.97 years 10
1980s 15.4 years 15.06 years 15.82 years 10
1990s 14.58 years 14.08 years 15 years 10
2000s 14.06 years 13.9 years 14.45 years 10
2010s 15.41 years 14.61 years 16.23 years 10
2020s 16.67 years 16.41 years 16.94 years 4

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 222 Burkina Faso 17.25 years compare
  2. 223 Tanzania 17.24 years compare
  3. 224 Mauritania 17.12 years compare
  4. 226 Mayotte 16.79 years compare
  5. 227 Uganda 16.51 years compare
  6. 228 Angola 16.45 years compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is median age in Afghanistan?
Median age in Afghanistan was 16.94 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest median age recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 18.39 years in 1950.
What is the lowest median age recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 13.9 years in 2002.
How does Afghanistan rank for median age?
Afghanistan ranks 225th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is median age rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Median age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Median age in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/median-age/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Median age
Unit
years
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Age that divides the population into two halves of equal size — half are younger and half are older.