World Population PyramidsPopulation pyramids and indicators by country and year日本語

China vs United States of America: population pyramids in 1996

1996Swap

ChinaUnited States of America

1.5%1%0.5%0%0.5%1%1.5%0102030405060708090100MaleFemale

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 United States of America compared

In 1996, China has a population of 1.23 billion and the United States of America 269.5 million; China is about 4.5 times the size of the United States of America.

The share aged 65 and over is 6.1% in China and 12.4% in the United States of America, 6.2 points higher in the United States of America. The median age is 27.4 years in China and 34.2 years in the United States of America.

The total fertility rate is 1.55 in China and 1.96 in the United States of America, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 70.8 years in China and 76.2 years in the United States of America.

By 2050, the population of China is projected to grow by 3.2% and that of the United States of America to grow by 41.1% compared with 1996.

GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $90K in the United States of America (2025).

Key figures (1996)

ChinaUnited States of America
Population1.23 billion269.5 million
Aged 0–1427.2%21.7%
Aged 15–6466.6%65.9%
Aged 65+6.1%12.4%
Median age27.4 yrs34.2 yrs
Old-age dependency9.218.8
Total fertility rate1.551.96
Life expectancy70.8 yrs76.2 yrs
Population growth+0.86%+0.97%
Net migration (per year)-250,750+1.1 million
GDP$19.5T (2025)$30.8T (2025)
GDP per person$14K (2025)$90K (2025)
Unemployment4.6% (2025)4.2% (2025)

Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.

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