France vs Italy: population pyramids in 1996
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 1996, France has a population of 58.3 million and Italy 57.1 million; the two are about the same size.
The share aged 65 and over is 15.2% in France and 16.8% in Italy, 1.6 points higher in Italy. The median age is 36.3 years in France and 38.9 years in Italy.
The total fertility rate is 1.74 in France and 1.20 in Italy, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 78.1 years in France and 78.4 years in Italy.
By 2050, the population of France is projected to grow by 16.9% and that of Italy to shrink by 9.0% compared with 1996.
GDP per person is $49K in France (2025) and $43K in Italy (2025).
Key figures (1996)
| France | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58.3 million | 57.1 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 19.4% | 14.6% |
| Aged 15–64 | 65.4% | 68.6% |
| Aged 65+ | 15.2% | 16.8% |
| Median age | 36.3 yrs | 38.9 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 23.3 | 24.6 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.74 | 1.20 |
| Life expectancy | 78.1 yrs | 78.4 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.32% | +0.05% |
| Net migration (per year) | -21,463 | +53,450 |
| 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.