Saint Helena population pyramid 2026
5,148 people in 2026 (projected). Saint Helena’s median age rose from 18 in 1950 to about 51 in 2026, as decades of emigration and low fertility turned a young island into one of the oldest.
- 2026 population
- 5.1Krank 232 of 237
- Median age
- 51.0 yearsoldest rank 3
- Fertility rate
- 1.64births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older28.3% age 65+
Saint Helena population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Saint Helena age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 13.2% of the population, while 28.3% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 58.6% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Saint Helena’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 70.7: about 71 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (22.5 children and 48.2 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Saint Helena’s population pyramid
An island that grew old
In 1950 Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic, had a broad-based pyramid: women averaged more than five children, and under-15s made up about 43% of the population. Fertility fell below two by 2000, and young people left in large numbers. The UN estimates net emigration of about 3,600 people between 1950 and 1999, more than half the island’s population at the time, with Saints commonly finding work in the United Kingdom, on Ascension Island and in the Falkland Islands. The restoration of full British citizenship to Saints in 2002 made moving to Britain easier.
The result is one of the oldest age structures anywhere, with a median age of about 51 in 2026, near the top of the median age by country ranking. The widest bands are now 55–69, and deaths, which first exceeded births in 2006, outnumber them by more than two to one: the UN projects about 89 deaths and 37 births in 2026.
Too few people for smooth bands
Each five-year band holds only a few hundred people, so the chart is jagged. The 2026 data show alternating bulges and notches of up to about 20%, and sex ratios that range from 74 to 123 men per 100 women across the working ages; these reflect individual departures, returns and contract work as much as any lasting pattern. Under the UN medium scenario the population falls from about 5,100 in 2026 to roughly 4,000 by 2050.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45–49 | 1977–1981 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −21% |
| 40–44 | 1982–1986 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +19% |
| 55–59 | 1967–1971 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +17% |
| 25–29 | 1997–2001 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −17% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2006. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2005 and 2010.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Saint Helena is projected to record 37 births (about 37 births a year) and 89 deaths, a natural decrease of 52. Net migration adds 0 people, ranking #97 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,222 births, 1,629 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −385. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −35 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 81.0 years67.9 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 74.4 years64.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 16.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 11.2per 1,000 births · 44 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 12.9per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.8 yearssex ratio at birth 105.4
Women in Saint Helena are projected to live 6.6 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 44 to 11.2 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #100 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.8 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Saint Helena
The median age of 51.0 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.64 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.3 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,148 | #232 | Largest first |
| Median age | 51.0 years | #3 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.64 | #143 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -1.1% | #231 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.3 years | #98 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 28.3% | #4 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Saint Helena
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55–59 | 466 | 9.0% | 222 / 244 |
| 2 | 65–69 | 445 | 8.6% | 225 / 220 |
| 3 | 60–64 | 431 | 8.4% | 218 / 213 |
| 4 | 50–54 | 365 | 7.1% | 180 / 185 |
| 5 | 70–74 | 342 | 6.6% | 174 / 168 |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Saint Helena has 2,542 males and 2,606 females. That is 97.6 males per 100 females, ranking #135 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.4% of the population and females for 50.6%. There are 64 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 98.5 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.4 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Saint Helena has changed since 1950
The population has decreased from 5,224 in 1950 to 5,148 in 2026, a change of 1%. Over the same span, median age moved from 18.0 to 51.0 years.
The under-15 share changed from 43.2% to 13.2%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 8.5% to 28.3%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Saint Helena’s population is projected to decline by about 23%, reaching 3,968 in 2050. The median age changes from 51.0 to 49.2 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 3.9 percentage points to 32.2%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.9%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 6,699 in 1987. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5,224 | 18.0 | 5.62 | 66.0 | 200 | 64 | −86 | +1.2% |
| 1960 | 5,362 | 18.7 | 5.29 | 67.7 | 168 | 53 | −89 | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 5,776 | 20.4 | 4.41 | 68.6 | 171 | 56 | −38 | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 6,391 | 22.5 | 2.79 | 69.9 | 143 | 58 | −33 | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 6,617 | 27.6 | 2.14 | 71.5 | 126 | 60 | −108 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 6,016 | 35.6 | 1.68 | 75.8 | 74 | 52 | −101 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 5,329 | 44.8 | 1.65 | 76.5 | 47 | 63 | +51 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 5,430 | 49.3 | 1.66 | 76.9 | 43 | 82 | +11 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 5,288 | 50.4 | 1.64 | 76.8 | 39 | 89 | 0 | -1.1% |
| 2024* | 5,237 | 50.7 | 1.64 | 77.0 | 38 | 89 | +4 | -0.8% |
| 2026* | 5,148 | 51.0 | 1.64 | 77.3 | 37 | 89 | 0 | -1.1% |
| 2030* | 4,928 | 51.3 | 1.63 | 78.0 | 35 | 89 | −2 | -1.1% |
| 2040* | 4,412 | 50.6 | 1.63 | 79.7 | 38 | 84 | −1 | -1.1% |
| 2050* | 3,968 | 49.2 | 1.63 | 81.3 | 34 | 76 | −2 | -1.3% |
| 2060* | 3,545 | 49.0 | 1.63 | 82.7 | 28 | 63 | −2 | -1.0% |
| 2070* | 3,225 | 50.6 | 1.63 | 84.0 | 28 | 52 | −1 | -0.5% |
| 2080* | 3,017 | 50.0 | 1.63 | 85.2 | 26 | 46 | 0 | -0.5% |
| 2090* | 2,812 | 50.0 | 1.64 | 86.4 | 23 | 41 | 0 | -0.8% |
| 2100* | 2,635 | 51.1 | 1.64 | 87.5 | 22 | 40 | +1 | -0.6% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 98 | 94 | 192 | 3.7% |
| 5–9 | 113 | 105 | 218 | 4.2% |
| 10–14 | 133 | 135 | 268 | 5.2% |
| 15–19 | 143 | 119 | 262 | 5.1% |
| 20–24 | 95 | 115 | 210 | 4.1% |
| 25–29 | 107 | 87 | 194 | 3.8% |
| 30–34 | 137 | 119 | 256 | 5.0% |
| 35–39 | 129 | 127 | 256 | 5.0% |
| 40–44 | 133 | 179 | 312 | 6.1% |
| 45–49 | 115 | 153 | 268 | 5.2% |
| 50–54 | 180 | 185 | 365 | 7.1% |
| 55–59 | 222 | 244 | 466 | 9.0% |
| 60–64 | 218 | 213 | 431 | 8.4% |
| 65–69 | 225 | 220 | 445 | 8.6% |
| 70–74 | 174 | 168 | 342 | 6.6% |
| 75–79 | 163 | 174 | 337 | 6.5% |
| 80–84 | 114 | 99 | 213 | 4.1% |
| 85–89 | 35 | 47 | 82 | 1.6% |
| 90–94 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 0.6% |
| 95–99 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Saint Helena’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Martinique94% overlap · median age 50.2
- Isle of Man93% overlap · median age 46.3
- Bermuda93% overlap · median age 46.4
- Guadeloupe92% overlap · median age 47.4
- United States Virgin Islands92% overlap · median age 44.9
- San Marino92% overlap · median age 49.1
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Saint Helena.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Saint Helena Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saint-helena/
MLA
“Saint Helena Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saint-helena/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Saint Helena Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/saint-helena/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Saint Helena in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Saint Helena's population in 2026 is projected at 5,148.
What is the median age in Saint Helena?
The projected median age in Saint Helena in 2026 is 51.0 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Saint Helena?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.64 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Saint Helena's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 23%, from 5.1K to 4K.
What share of Saint Helena is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 28.3% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 32.2%.
How many babies are born in Saint Helena each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 37 births and 89 deaths in 2026, about 37 births a year. Deaths exceed births by 52.
What is life expectancy in Saint Helena for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 81.0 years for women and 74.4 years for men, a gap of 6.6 years in favour of women.
Does Saint Helena have more immigrants or emigrants?
Net migration is close to zero in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −385.
What is the sex ratio in Saint Helena?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 97.6 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.