Africa has the youngest population in the world. Among the 35 countries with the lowest median age worldwide, only three fall outside the continent. The 30 countries with the lowest median age in Africa are also the countries with the lowest median age worldwide. In 2023, the median age in Niger was 15.1 years, the youngest country. This means that at this age point, half of the population was younger and half older. A young population reflects several demographic characteristics of a country. For instance, together with a high population growth, life expectancy in Western Africa is low: this reached 57 years for males and 59 for females. Overall, Africa has the lowest life expectancy in the world.
