Over the past decade, global demographic trends have increasingly exposed the widening gap between old and young continents. According to new international data, the median age across countries ranges from 15 to 57 years—diversity that paints a vivid picture of the world’s economic, social and political future.

Europe is now the oldest continent on Earth. The average age of its inhabitants is around 43, and in several Western European nations—such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy—the figure has climbed to between 45 and 48. At the top of the list stands Monaco, with a median age of 57, making it the world’s oldest country. This pattern points to deepening challenges for Europe: a shrinking labor force, soaring pension costs, and persistently low birth rates.

Africa, by contrast, is the planet’s youngest continent. In 21 of its countries, the median age is below 20; nations such as Niger, Mali, Chad and Angola have the world’s lowest averages—roughly between 15 and 17. This widespread youthfulness signals, on the one hand, immense human potential, and on the other, looming challenges of unemployment, poverty and migration.

Asia presents striking diversity. East Asian countries such as Japan (50) and South Korea (47) rank among the world’s oldest societies, while South and Southeast Asia remain relatively young. India’s median age is 28, and Pakistan’s only 20. These generational contrasts across the continent are set to reshape Asia’s demographic and economic balance of power.

In the Middle East, Iran—with a median age of around 33—sits near the global midpoint. Arab states such as Saudi Arabia (30) and the United Arab Emirates (32) are in a similar range. Yet a continuing decline in birth rates and the outmigration of young workers could push Iran’s demographic profile towards ageing in the coming years.

In the Americas, the United States (39) and Canada (43) are showing signs of demographic ageing, while much of Latin America remains younger—Colombia’s median age is 29, and Bolivia’s 26.

This global map reveals that “population ageing” is no longer confined to developed nations; many developing countries are rapidly moving in the same direction. Demographers predict that by 2050, more than two-thirds of the world’s population will live in countries where the median age exceeds 40.

At the same time, African nations and parts of South Asia may face a “youth surge” in the decades ahead—a phenomenon that, if poorly managed, could fuel social crises. The world of the future, therefore, will grapple not only with the challenge of natural resources but also with a new “geography of age”—a divide between an ageing Europe and a youthful Africa that redraws the contours of global change.