France vs Italy: population pyramids in 1978
FranceItaly
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.
France and Italy compared
In 1978, France has a population of 53.3 million and Italy 55.8 million; the two are about the same size.
The share aged 65 and over is 13.8% in France and 12.7% in Italy, 1.1 points higher in France. The median age is 31.7 years in France and 33.7 years in Italy.
The total fertility rate is 1.83 in France and 1.84 in Italy, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 73.8 years in France and 73.8 years in Italy.
By 2050, the population of France is projected to grow by 27.8% and that of Italy to shrink by 6.8% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $49K in France (2025) and $43K in Italy (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| France | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 53.3 million | 55.8 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 23.2% | 23.6% |
| Aged 15–64 | 63.0% | 63.7% |
| Aged 65+ | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| Median age | 31.7 yrs | 33.7 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 21.9 | 19.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.83 | 1.84 |
| Life expectancy | 73.8 yrs | 73.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.40% | +0.38% |
| Net migration (per year) | +18,692 | +43,932 |
| GDP | $3.37T (2025) | $2.55T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $49K (2025) | $43K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 7.5% (2025) | 6.4% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.