Population Age Structures of Countries

Despite the overall trend toward older populations, substantial differences in age structures exist among countries. Credit: Shutterstock.Opinion by Joseph Chamie (portland, usa)Tuesday, September 01, 2026Inter Press Service PORTLAND, USA, September 1 (IPS) - The age structures of populations vary considerably across countries. Some countries have relatively young populations, with large proportions consisting of children and adolescents. Other countries have much older age structures, with a substantial proportion of people aged 65 years or older. The world’s current population of approximately 8.3 billion has a median age of about 31 years. This is substantially higher than during much of the 20th century, when the global median age was generally below 25 years. The world’s median age was 22 years in 1950, declined to 20 years in 1970, and then increased to nearly 25 years by 1999.Population ageing is expected to continue worldwide in the coming decades, The median age of the world’s population, currently about 31 years, is projected to increase to approximately 36 years by 2050.Despite the overall trend toward older populations, substantial differences in age structures exist am...