Statizoid

Median age in China

China: Median age was 39.07 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
39.07 years
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
63rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
39.07 years
in 2023
All-time low
18 years
in 1969
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Median age in China, 1950–2023

010203040195019862023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for median age in China is 39.07 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, median age in China peaked at 39.07 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18 years, in 1969.

China ranks 63rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Median age in China, year by year

Year years Change
1950 22.25 years —
1951 21.95 years -1.3%
1952 21.62 years -1.5%
1953 21.27 years -1.6%
1954 20.96 years -1.5%
1955 20.68 years -1.3%
1956 20.46 years -1.1%
1957 20.2 years -1.2%
1958 19.94 years -1.3%
1959 19.85 years -0.5%
1960 19.91 years +0.3%
1961 20.03 years +0.6%
1962 19.93 years -0.5%
1963 19.43 years -2.5%
1964 18.87 years -2.9%
1965 18.48 years -2.1%
1966 18.22 years -1.4%
1967 18.12 years -0.6%
1968 18.05 years -0.4%
1969 18 years -0.2%
1970 18.03 years +0.1%
1971 18.13 years +0.6%
1972 18.3 years +1.0%
1973 18.5 years +1.1%
1974 18.75 years +1.3%
1975 19.07 years +1.7%
1976 19.41 years +1.8%
1977 19.78 years +1.9%
1978 20.18 years +2.0%
1979 20.56 years +1.9%
1980 20.89 years +1.6%
1981 21.09 years +0.9%
1982 21.15 years +0.3%
1983 21.16 years +0.1%
1984 21.36 years +1.0%
1985 21.7 years +1.6%
1986 22.14 years +2.0%
1987 22.56 years +1.9%
1988 22.98 years +1.8%
1989 23.36 years +1.7%
1990 23.73 years +1.6%
1991 24.14 years +1.7%
1992 24.59 years +1.9%
1993 25.07 years +1.9%
1994 25.57 years +2.0%
1995 26.1 years +2.1%
1996 26.65 years +2.1%
1997 27.22 years +2.2%
1998 27.8 years +2.1%
1999 28.39 years +2.1%
2000 28.96 years +2.0%
2001 29.53 years +2.0%
2002 30.11 years +2.0%
2003 30.68 years +1.9%
2004 31.23 years +1.8%
2005 31.77 years +1.7%
2006 32.3 years +1.7%
2007 32.81 years +1.6%
2008 33.3 years +1.5%
2009 33.74 years +1.3%
2010 34.14 years +1.2%
2011 34.52 years +1.1%
2012 34.85 years +1.0%
2013 35.14 years +0.8%
2014 35.41 years +0.8%
2015 35.69 years +0.8%
2016 35.98 years +0.8%
2017 36.28 years +0.8%
2018 36.62 years +0.9%
2019 37.03 years +1.1%
2020 37.49 years +1.3%
2021 38.01 years +1.4%
2022 38.53 years +1.4%
2023 39.07 years +1.4%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 39.07 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.94 years, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • China's 39.07 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.83 years, 1.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 20.92 years 19.85 years 22.25 years 10
1960s 18.9 years 18 years 20.03 years 10
1970s 19.07 years 18.03 years 20.56 years 10
1980s 21.84 years 20.89 years 23.36 years 10
1990s 25.93 years 23.73 years 28.39 years 10
2000s 31.44 years 28.96 years 33.74 years 10
2010s 35.57 years 34.14 years 37.03 years 10
2020s 38.28 years 37.49 years 39.07 years 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 60 Russia 39.45 years compare
  2. 61 Saint Martin (French part) 39.36 years compare
  3. 62 Montenegro 39.29 years compare
  4. 64 Barbados 38.91 years compare
  5. 65 Luxembourg 38.89 years compare
  6. 66 Gibraltar 38.88 years compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is median age in China?
Median age in China was 39.07 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest median age recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 39.07 years in 2023.
What is the lowest median age recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 18 years in 1969.
How does China rank for median age?
China ranks 63rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is median age rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China 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 China. 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/china/

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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.