Oldest median age
Monaco's median resident is 56.9 — one of the consequences of being a tax haven for retirees.
Headline finding
Monaco leads the world for oldest median age at 56.9 years.
The full top 25: Oldest median age
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Monaco 56.9
- 2 Japan 49.9
- 3 Germany 47.8
- 4 Italy 47.4
- 5 Portugal 46.8
- 6 Greece 46.0
- 7 San Marino 45.7
- 8 Spain 45.6
- 9 South Korea 45.0
- 10 Slovenia 44.9
- 11 Croatia 44.5
- 12 Austria 44.5
- 13 Latvia 44.4
- 14 Bulgaria 44.7
- 15 Estonia 44.0
- 16 Hungary 43.6
- 17 Switzerland 43.4
- 18 Czech Republic 43.7
- 19 Lithuania 45.0
- 20 Finland 43.1
- 21 Belgium 41.9
- 22 Netherlands 42.8
- 23 Romania 43.2
- 24 Serbia 43.4
- 25 Denmark 42.0
What the numbers show
Monaco's lead at the top of this ranking is 14.0% above the second-place country — a margin tight enough that the top spot has changed hands within the last five years and could change again.
The five countries leading the table — Monaco, Japan, Germany, Italy, Portugal — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with Denmark anchoring the list at 42.0.
Figures are drawn from CIA World Factbook 2024. We use this source because it produces a single, internally consistent dataset rather than aggregating from national statistics offices, which makes year-on-year comparison reliable. The next update is expected when the source publishes its next annual release — see the methodology section below for which year of data is currently shown.
Methodology and caveats
- What this measures
- years
- Source
- CIA World Factbook 2024
- Coverage
- Top 25 countries shown. Full source dataset covers all 195 sovereign states where data is available.
- Refresh cadence
- Updated annually as the source publishes new figures, typically autumn or spring.
- Known caveat
- Country definitions follow the source: where the UN, the World Bank and the CIA Factbook disagree on borders or recognition, we use the figure as published rather than reconciling between bodies. Comparisons across rankings should be made with this in mind.
Frequently asked
Which country tops the ranking for median age?
Monaco leads with 56.9 years. Japan is second at 49.9, with Germany in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the median age ranking?
The figures come from CIA World Factbook 2024. We use this source because it publishes a complete country-by-country dataset using consistent methodology — the alternative of mixing national statistics offices would compromise comparability. Updated annually with the latest available vintage of the data.
How often are the median age figures updated?
Once a year, in line with the source institution's publishing schedule. Major institutions like the World Bank, IMF and UNESCO publish annual updates in different months — typically autumn or spring — and the figures here reflect the most recently published vintage. The source footer on the ranking table shows which year's data is currently displayed.