China vs Russian Federation: population pyramids in 1978
ChinaRussian Federation
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
China and Russian Federation compared
In 1978, China has a population of 949.8 million and the Russian Federation 136.5 million; China is about 7.0 times the size of the Russian Federation.
The share aged 65 and over is 4.1% in China and 9.7% in the Russian Federation, 5.5 points higher in the Russian Federation. The median age is 21.0 years in China and 30.6 years in the Russian Federation.
The total fertility rate is 2.72 in China and 1.95 in the Russian Federation, so only the Russian Federation is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 63.1 years in China and 67.8 years in the Russian Federation.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to grow by 33.2% and that of the Russian Federation to shrink by 0.2% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $18K in the Russian Federation (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| China | Russian Federation | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 949.8 million | 136.5 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 39.3% | 21.9% |
| Aged 15–64 | 56.5% | 68.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 4.1% | 9.7% |
| Median age | 21.0 yrs | 30.6 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 7.3 | 14.1 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.72 | 1.95 |
| Life expectancy | 63.1 yrs | 67.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.32% | +0.67% |
| Net migration (per year) | -9,916 | +108,882 |
| GDP | $19.5T (2025) | $2.56T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $14K (2025) | $18K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 4.6% (2025) | 2.1% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.