How Different Cultures Calculate Age: Western vs. Traditional Methods

How Age is Counted in Different Cultures

The way a person’s age is measured isn’t the same everywhere. This calculator uses the most common system, where age increases on a person’s birthday each year. For example, someone who has lived 3 years and 11 months is considered 3 years old, and will turn 4 on their next birthday one month later. This is the method used in most Western countries.

However, in other cultures, age is counted differently. For instance, some traditions calculate age by including the current year of life. In this method, a person who is 20 years old in the Western system might be described as being in their 21st year of life.

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One of the most notable examples is the traditional Chinese age system. Here, a baby is considered 1 year old at birth, and their age increases at the Chinese New Year instead of on their actual birthday. This means a baby born just one day before the New Year could be regarded as 2 years old only two days after birth.

Why Age Calculations Can Be Confusing

Age calculations can sometimes create confusion because months have different numbers of days. For instance:

• From February 20 to March 20 is clearly one month.

• But from February 28, 2022, to March 31, 2022, the result can be seen in two ways:

  • Counting Feb. 28 to Mar. 28 as one month gives 1 month and 3 days.

  • Considering both Feb. 28 and Mar. 31 as end-of-month dates gives exactly 1 month.

Both are reasonable, and similar situations occur with dates like April 30 to May 31 or May 30 to June 30.

To keep results consistent, this calculator uses the first method, where complete months are counted from the starting date.