How old is the universe?

The current scientific consensus, supported by recent research and observations, is that the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old [2, 3].

This estimate is based on extensive analysis of cosmic data, including measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation [1, 2]. While there is a very small margin of uncertainty—often cited as about 100 million years—13.8 billion years is the widely accepted figure among astrophysicists today [2, 3].