United Kingdom vs France: population pyramids in 1966
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 1966, the United Kingdom has a population of 54.5 million and France 49 million; the United Kingdom is about 1.1 times the size of France.
The share aged 65 and over is 12.3% in the United Kingdom and 12.2% in France, almost the same. The median age is 35.0 years in the United Kingdom and 32.8 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 2.78 in the United Kingdom and 2.78 in France, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 71.4 years in the United Kingdom and 71.5 years in France.
By 2050, the population of the United Kingdom is projected to grow by 38.3% and that of France to grow by 39.1% compared with 1966.
GDP per person is $58K in the United Kingdom (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1966)
| United Kingdom | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54.5 million | 49 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 23.5% | 25.5% |
| Aged 15–64 | 64.2% | 62.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| Median age | 35.0 yrs | 32.8 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 19.1 | 19.5 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.78 | 2.78 |
| Life expectancy | 71.4 yrs | 71.5 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.55% | +0.87% |
| Net migration (per year) | -27,935 | +96,097 |
| 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.