Spain vs Italy: population pyramids in 1978
SpainItaly
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.
Spain and Italy compared
In 1978, Spain has a population of 36.7 million and Italy 55.8 million; Italy is about 1.5 times the size of Spain.
The share aged 65 and over is 10.7% in Spain and 12.7% in Italy, 2.0 points higher in Italy. The median age is 30.3 years in Spain and 33.7 years in Italy.
The total fertility rate is 2.54 in Spain and 1.84 in Italy, so only Italy is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 74.5 years in Spain and 73.8 years in Italy.
By 2050, the population of Spain is projected to grow by 22.5% and that of Italy to shrink by 6.8% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $39K in Spain (2025) and $43K in Italy (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| Spain | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 36.7 million | 55.8 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 26.9% | 23.6% |
| Aged 15–64 | 62.4% | 63.7% |
| Aged 65+ | 10.7% | 12.7% |
| Median age | 30.3 yrs | 33.7 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 17.1 | 19.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.54 | 1.84 |
| Life expectancy | 74.5 yrs | 73.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.93% | +0.38% |
| Net migration (per year) | -2,504 | +43,932 |
| GDP | $1.91T (2025) | $2.55T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $39K (2025) | $43K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 10.4% (2025) | 6.4% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.