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Share of 0-14 year olds
What this indicator measures
Share of children aged 0 to 14 in the total population, as a percentage.
How to read this?
A value of 25% means one person in four is under 15.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
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213countries with data
48.7 %maximum · Central African Republic
22 %median
10.2 %minimum · South Korea
2025data year(s)
In brief
Share of 0-14 year olds: across 213 countries and territories, values range from 10.2 % (South Korea) to 48.7 % (Central African Republic), with a world median of 22 %. Data: 2025. The top 10% of countries exceed 40.4 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 14.2 %. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (39.1 %) and lowest in Europe (14.9 %).
Median by continent
- Africa 39.1 % (51)
- Oceania 31.5 % (19)
- Asia 23.8 % (48)
- South America 23.8 % (12)
- North America 17.6 % (34)
- Europe 14.9 % (46)
Why this indicator matters
The share of children shows whether a population is young. It guides needs for schools, pediatric care and, later, jobs.
What makes this indicator vary
It depends mainly on past fertility, child mortality and, to a lesser extent, migration.
Reading precautions
These are UN estimates. Values are shares of the population, not headcounts: a small country and a large country can have the same share.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 48.7 % | 2025 |
| 2e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 46.6 % | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 46.2 % | 2025 |
| 4e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 46 % | 2025 |
| 5e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 45.9 % | 2025 |
| 6e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 45.8 % | 2025 |
| 7e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 44.2 % | 2025 |
| 8e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 44.1 % | 2025 |
| 9e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 44 % | 2025 |
| 10e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 43.1 % | 2025 |
| 11e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 42.6 % | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 42.4 % | 2025 |
| 13e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 42.3 % | 2025 |
| 14e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 41.3 % | 2025 |
| 15e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 41.2 % | 2025 |
| 16e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 41.1 % | 2025 |
| 17e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 41 % | 2025 |
| 18e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 41 % | 2025 |
| 19e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 40.5 % | 2025 |
| 20e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 40.5 % | 2025 |
| 21e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 40.5 % | 2025 |
| 22e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 40.4 % | 2025 |
| 23e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 40.3 % | 2025 |
| 24e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 40.2 % | 2025 |
| 25e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 40.1 % | 2025 |
| 26e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 39.9 % | 2025 |
| 27e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 39.7 % | 2025 |
| 28e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 39.1 % | 2025 |
| 29e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 38.9 % | 2025 |
| 30e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 38.8 % | 2025 |
| 31e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 38.3 % | 2025 |
| 32e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 38.1 % | 2025 |
| 33e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 38 % | 2025 |
| 34e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 37.7 % | 2025 |
| 35e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 37.7 % | 2025 |
| 36e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 37.6 % | 2025 |
| 37e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 37.5 % | 2025 |
| 38e | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 37.2 % | 2025 |
| 39e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 37.1 % | 2025 |
| 40e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 37 % | 2025 |
| 41e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 36.9 % | 2025 |
| 42e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 36.7 % | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 36.6 % | 2025 |
| 44e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 36.3 % | 2025 |
| 45e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 36.2 % | 2025 |
| 46e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 36.2 % | 2025 |
| 47e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 36 % | 2025 |
| 48e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 35.9 % | 2025 |
| 49e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 35.4 % | 2025 |
| 50e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 34.9 % | 2025 |
| 51e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 34.4 % | 2025 |
| 52e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 34.1 % | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 33.9 % | 2025 |
| 54e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 33.1 % | 2025 |
| 55e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 33.1 % | 2025 |
| 56e | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 33 % | 2025 |
| 57e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 33 % | 2025 |
| 58e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 32 % | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 31.9 % | 2025 |
| 60e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 31.6 % | 2025 |
| 61e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 31.6 % | 2025 |
| 62e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 31.5 % | 2025 |
| 63e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 31.3 % | 2025 |
| 64e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 31.2 % | 2025 |
| 65e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 31 % | 2025 |
| 66e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 30.8 % | 2025 |
| 67e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 30.3 % | 2025 |
| 68e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 30.2 % | 2025 |
| 69e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 29.9 % | 2025 |
| 70e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 29.8 % | 2025 |
| 71e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 29.5 % | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 29.4 % | 2025 |
| 73e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 29.1 % | 2025 |
| 74e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 28.9 % | 2025 |
| 75e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 28.8 % | 2025 |
| 76e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 28.4 % | 2025 |
| 77e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 28.4 % | 2025 |
| 78e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 28.3 % | 2025 |
| 79e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 28.1 % | 2025 |
| 80e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 27.6 % | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 27.2 % | 2025 |
| 82e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 27.1 % | 2025 |
| 83e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 26.8 % | 2025 |
| 84e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 26.8 % | 2025 |
| 85e | 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 26.3 % | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 26.3 % | 2025 |
| 87e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 26.2 % | 2025 |
| 88e | 🇬🇺 Guam | 25.9 % | 2025 |
| 89e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 25.7 % | 2025 |
| 90e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 25.6 % | 2025 |
| 91e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 25.3 % | 2025 |
| 92e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 25.2 % | 2025 |
| 93e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 24.9 % | 2025 |
| 94e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 24.7 % | 2025 |
| 95e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 24.5 % | 2025 |
| 96e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 24.4 % | 2025 |
| 97e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 24.3 % | 2025 |
| 98e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 24.2 % | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇮🇳 India | 24.2 % | 2025 |
| 100e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 24.1 % | 2025 |
| 101e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 24.1 % | 2025 |
| 102e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 23.9 % | 2025 |
| 103e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 23.6 % | 2025 |
| 104e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 23.6 % | 2025 |
| 105e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 23.6 % | 2025 |
| 106e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 22.9 % | 2025 |
| 107e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 22 % | 2025 |
| 108e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 21.7 % | 2025 |
| 109e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 21.3 % | 2025 |
| 110e | 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands | 21.2 % | 2025 |
| 111e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 21.2 % | 2025 |
| 112e | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 21.1 % | 2025 |
| 113e | 🇲🇫 St. Martin | 21.1 % | 2025 |
| 114e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 21 % | 2025 |
| 115e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 21 % | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 20.9 % | 2025 |
| 117e | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 20.7 % | 2025 |
| 118e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 20.6 % | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 20.5 % | 2025 |
| 120e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 20.4 % | 2025 |
| 121e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 20 % | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | 20 % | 2025 |
| 123e | 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 19.9 % | 2025 |
| 124e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 19.8 % | 2025 |
| 125e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 19.5 % | 2025 |
| 126e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 19.4 % | 2025 |
| 127e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 19 % | 2025 |
| 128e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 19 % | 2025 |
| 129e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 19 % | 2025 |
| 130e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 18.9 % | 2025 |
| 131e | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 18.5 % | 2025 |
| 132e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 18.4 % | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 18.3 % | 2025 |
| 134e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 18.3 % | 2025 |
| 135e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 18.3 % | 2025 |
| 136e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 18.1 % | 2025 |
| 137e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 18 % | 2025 |
| 138e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 17.9 % | 2025 |
| 139e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 17.9 % | 2025 |
| 140e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 17.9 % | 2025 |
| 141e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 17.9 % | 2025 |
| 142e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 17.7 % | 2025 |
| 143e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 17.6 % | 2025 |
| 144e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 17.5 % | 2025 |
| 145e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 17.5 % | 2025 |
| 146e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 17.5 % | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 17.5 % | 2025 |
| 148e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 17.2 % | 2025 |
| 149e | 🇺🇸 United States | 17.1 % | 2025 |
| 150e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 17.1 % | 2025 |
| 151e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 17 % | 2025 |
| 152e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 17 % | 2025 |
| 153e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 16.7 % | 2025 |
| 154e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 16.6 % | 2025 |
| 155e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 16.5 % | 2025 |
| 156e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 16.5 % | 2025 |
| 157e | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 16.5 % | 2025 |
| 158e | 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 16.5 % | 2025 |
| 159e | 🇫🇷 France | 16.2 % | 2025 |
| 160e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 16.1 % | 2025 |
| 161e | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 16.1 % | 2025 |
| 162e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 16 % | 2025 |
| 163e | 🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands | 16 % | 2025 |
| 164e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 15.9 % | 2025 |
| 165e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 15.9 % | 2025 |
| 166e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 15.7 % | 2025 |
| 167e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 15.7 % | 2025 |
| 168e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 15.6 % | 2025 |
| 169e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 15.6 % | 2025 |
| 170e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 15.6 % | 2025 |
| 171e | 🇨🇳 China | 15.4 % | 2025 |
| 172e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 15.3 % | 2025 |
| 173e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 15.2 % | 2025 |
| 174e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 15.1 % | 2025 |
| 175e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 15 % | 2025 |
| 176e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 15 % | 2025 |
| 177e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 15 % | 2025 |
| 178e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 14.9 % | 2025 |
| 179e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 14.9 % | 2025 |
| 180e | 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten | 14.8 % | 2025 |
| 181e | 🇨🇼 Curaçao | 14.6 % | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 183e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 184e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 185e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 14.5 % | 2025 |
| 186e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 14.4 % | 2025 |
| 187e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 14.4 % | 2025 |
| 188e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 14.4 % | 2025 |
| 189e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 14.3 % | 2025 |
| 190e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 14.3 % | 2025 |
| 191e | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 14.2 % | 2025 |
| 192e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 14.1 % | 2025 |
| 193e | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 14.1 % | 2025 |
| 194e | 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 13.9 % | 2025 |
| 195e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 13.9 % | 2025 |
| 196e | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 13.8 % | 2025 |
| 197e | 🇲🇴 Macao SAR China | 13.7 % | 2025 |
| 198e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 13.7 % | 2025 |
| 199e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 13.7 % | 2025 |
| 200e | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 13.4 % | 2025 |
| 201e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 12.9 % | 2025 |
| 202e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 12.9 % | 2025 |
| 203e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 12.8 % | 2025 |
| 204e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 12.7 % | 2025 |
| 205e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 12.6 % | 2025 |
| 206e | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 11.9 % | 2025 |
| 207e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 11.7 % | 2025 |
| 208e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 11.7 % | 2025 |
| 209e | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 11.6 % | 2025 |
| 210e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 11.2 % | 2025 |
| 211e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 11.2 % | 2025 |
| 212e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 10.3 % | 2025 |
| 213e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 10.2 % | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Share of 0-14 year olds"?
The highest value is in Central African Republic, at 48.7 % (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Share of 0-14 year olds"?
The lowest value is in South Korea, at 10.2 % (2025).
What is the world median value of "Share of 0-14 year olds"?
The world median is 22 %, calculated across 213 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Share of 0-14 year olds" for France?
France scores 16.2 % (2025), ranking 159 out of 213 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Share of 0-14 year olds" data come from?
It comes from Banque mondiale (WDI), d'après Nations unies – World Population Prospects. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What does this share measure?
It is the proportion of inhabitants aged 0 to 14 in the total population.
Is a high share good or bad?
Neither: it describes the age structure. It means more education needs today and more workers tomorrow.
Source and update
Source : Banque mondiale (WDI), d'après Nations unies – World Population Prospects. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Population & Vital Statistics
- Adults with an official IDAn official ID (identity card, passport, voter card, etc.) makes it possible to prove who you are in order to vote, open a bank account or access public services. This indicator gives the share of people aged 15 and over who say they have one, according to the Global Findex survey (ID4D programme).
- Births registered with civil authoritiesRegistering a child's birth with the civil registry gives the child a legal existence: a name, a nationality and access to school or health care. This indicator gives the share of children under 5 whose birth has been registered by the authorities.
- PopulationThe number of people living in the country, of all ages.
- Share of women in the populationShare of women in the country's total population, as a percentage.
- Share of men in the populationShare of men in the country's total population, as a percentage. Calculated value: 100 minus the share of women from the same World Bank series (United Nations).
- Number of men per 100 womenRatio between the number of men and the number of women in the population. Calculated value: (100 − share of women) ÷ share of women × 100, from the World Bank series (United Nations).
- Boys per 100 girls at birthNumber of boys born per 100 girls born in the same year. Worldwide, slightly more boys than girls are born. Source value (boys per girl) multiplied by 100.
- Share of 15-64 year oldsShare of people aged 15 to 64 (usual working ages) in the total population, as a percentage.
- Share of people aged 65 and overShare of people aged 65 and over in the total population, as a percentage.
- Median age of the populationAge that divides the population into two equal halves: half of the inhabitants are younger, the other half older (United Nations estimate).
- Age dependency ratioNumber of people under 15 or over 64 per 100 people aged 15 to 64. It gives an idea of the weight of non-working ages relative to the usual working ages.
- Urban populationShare of the population living in cities, as a percentage. The definition of an urban area is set by each country, so it varies from one country to another.