Median age in China
China: Median age was 39.07 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
39.07
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
63rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
39.07
in 2023
All-time low
18
in 1969
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Median age in China, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for median age in China is 39.07, 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 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 18, 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 | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.25 | — |
| 1951 | 21.95 | -1.3% |
| 1952 | 21.62 | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 21.27 | -1.6% |
| 1954 | 20.96 | -1.5% |
| 1955 | 20.68 | -1.3% |
| 1956 | 20.46 | -1.1% |
| 1957 | 20.2 | -1.2% |
| 1958 | 19.94 | -1.3% |
| 1959 | 19.85 | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 19.91 | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 20.03 | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 19.93 | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 19.43 | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 18.87 | -2.9% |
| 1965 | 18.48 | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 18.22 | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 18.12 | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 18.05 | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 18 | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 18.03 | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 18.13 | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 18.3 | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 18.5 | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 18.75 | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 19.07 | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 19.41 | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 19.78 | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 20.18 | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 20.56 | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 20.89 | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 21.09 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 21.15 | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 21.16 | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 21.36 | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 21.7 | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 22.14 | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 22.56 | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 22.98 | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 23.36 | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 23.73 | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 24.14 | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 24.59 | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 25.07 | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 25.57 | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 26.1 | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 26.65 | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 27.22 | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 27.8 | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 28.39 | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 28.96 | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 29.53 | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 30.11 | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 30.68 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 31.23 | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 31.77 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 32.3 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 32.81 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 33.3 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 33.74 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 34.14 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 34.52 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 34.85 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 35.14 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 35.41 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 35.69 | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 35.98 | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 36.28 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 36.62 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 37.03 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 37.49 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 38.01 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 38.53 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 39.07 | +1.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 39.07 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.94, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 39.07 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.83, 1.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.92 | 19.85 | 22.25 | 10 |
| 1960s | 18.9 | 18 | 20.03 | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.07 | 18.03 | 20.56 | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.84 | 20.89 | 23.36 | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.93 | 23.73 | 28.39 | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.44 | 28.96 | 33.74 | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.57 | 34.14 | 37.03 | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.28 | 37.49 | 39.07 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 60 Russia 39.45 compare
- 61 Saint Martin (French Part) 39.36 compare
- 62 Montenegro 39.29 compare
- 64 Barbados 38.91 compare
- 65 Luxembourg 38.89 compare
- 66 Gibraltar 38.88 compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is median age in China?
- Median age in China was 39.07 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest median age recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 39.07 in 2023.
- What is the lowest median age recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 18 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Median age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).