United Kingdom vs France: population pyramids in 1950
United KingdomFrance
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.
United Kingdom and France compared
In 1950, the United Kingdom has a population of 49.9 million and France 41.7 million; the United Kingdom is about 1.2 times the size of France.
The share aged 65 and over is 10.8% in the United Kingdom and 11.4% in France, 0.6 points higher in France. The median age is 34.9 years in the United Kingdom and 34.8 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 2.22 in the United Kingdom and 2.96 in France, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 68.6 years in the United Kingdom and 66.4 years in France.
By 2050, the population of the United Kingdom is projected to grow by 51.0% and that of France to grow by 63.6% compared with 1950.
GDP per person is $58K in the United Kingdom (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1950)
| United Kingdom | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 49.9 million | 41.7 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 22.4% | 22.5% |
| Aged 15–64 | 66.8% | 66.1% |
| Aged 65+ | 10.8% | 11.4% |
| Median age | 34.9 yrs | 34.8 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 16.2 | 17.2 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.22 | 2.96 |
| Life expectancy | 68.6 yrs | 66.4 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.76% | +1.11% |
| Net migration (per year) | +151,663 | +130,529 |
| GDP | $4T (2025) | $3.37T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $58K (2025) | $49K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 4.8% (2025) | 7.5% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.