Median Ages of the World’s Top 40 Economies

Published

May 30, 2026 8:44 am

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By

Julia Wendling

Design

• Akhila Ayyalasomayajula

The following content is sponsored by Adobe

Median Ages of the World’s Top 40 Economies

   
Key Takeaways

• The Philippines (26.0) is the youngest major economy by median age, while Japan (50.2) is the oldest.
• India (30.1), Bangladesh (30.0), and Indonesia (31.8) rank among the world’s youngest large economies.
• Many developed economies—including Japan (50.2), Italy (48.8), and Spain (47.2)—are aging rapidly.

Population age varies widely across the world’s largest economies, creating very different demographic profiles for future growth and labor markets. These demographic shifts could also shape how countries adapt to new technologies and evolving workplace demands over time.

This visualization, created in partnership with Adobe, ranks the median ages of the world’s 40 largest economies by GDP, using data from the CIA World Factbook. It also highlights the five youngest and five oldest economies in the group.

The Youngest Major Economies

The Philippines ranks as the youngest major economy, with a median age of 26.0. Israel (30.0) is also among the youngest, while Bangladesh (30.0), India (30.1), Mexico (31.0), and Indonesia (31.8) reflect the younger populations common across many Emerging Markets.

Rank	Country	Median Age
1	Philippines	26.0
2	Israel	30.0
3	Bangladesh	30.0
4	India	30.1
5	Mexico	31.0
6	Indonesia	31.8
7	Malaysia	32.0
8	Saudi Arabia	32.8
9	Argentina	33.0
10	Vietnam	33.0
11	Colombia	33.0
12	Turkey	34.4
13	Brazil	35.4
14	UAE	36.0
15	Australia	38.5
16	Singapore	39.0
17	U.S.	39.5
18	Ireland	40.0
19	China	40.8
20	UK	40.9
21	Sweden	41.0
22	Norway	41.0
23	Belgium	42.0
24	Thailand	42.0
25	Denmark	42.0
26	Netherlands	42.2
27	Russia	42.3
28	France	42.7
29	Canada	42.8
30	Poland	43.4
31	Switzerland	44.0
32	Taiwan	45.0
33	Austria	45.0
34	Romania	46.0
35	Germany	46.9
36	South Korea	47.0
37	Hong Kong	47.0
38	Spain	47.2
39	Italy	48.8
40	Japan	50.2

India stands out as one of the youngest among the world’s largest economies. It is the world’s sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP, yet its median age is just 30.1—well below the U.S. (39.5) and UK (40.9). Its combination of economic scale and relatively young, digitally native population puts it in a unique position to adopt new technologies and AI-powered tools across the workforce.

The Oldest Major Economies

Japan is the oldest economy in the ranking, with a median age of 50.2. Italy (48.8), Spain (47.2), and South Korea (47.0) also rank among the oldest, highlighting how many developed economies are seeing populations age rapidly.

Canada (42.8), France (42.7), and Germany (46.9) also sit well above the global median age. While aging populations often reflect longer life expectancy and economic development, they can also present challenges through slower labor force growth and rising pressure on healthcare and social systems.

Turning Demographics into Productivity

While demographics alone do not determine economic success, younger populations are often more digitally native and may be better positioned to adopt new workplace technologies. The real shift happens when AI moves into everyday workflows: reading dense reports, pulling insights from contracts, drafting follow-ups, turning 80-page PDFs into a five-bullet brief.

That’s where Adobe Acrobat’s AI Assistant comes in, bringing PDF AI into everyday workflows. It lets professionals chat with PDF files, summarize long reports in seconds, and surface the answers buried inside them. As India’s young talent meets practical AI, the countries and the workers who pair the two, will move fastest.

Explore AI-powered Document Workflows.

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