United Kingdom vs France: population pyramids in 1971
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 1971, the United Kingdom has a population of 55.8 million and France 51.1 million; the United Kingdom is about 1.1 times the size of France.
The share aged 65 and over is 13.2% in the United Kingdom and 12.9% in France, almost the same. The median age is 34.2 years in the United Kingdom and 32.4 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 2.34 in the United Kingdom and 2.50 in France, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 72.2 years in the United Kingdom and 72.1 years in France.
By 2050, the population of the United Kingdom is projected to grow by 35.2% and that of France to grow by 33.4% compared with 1971.
GDP per person is $58K in the United Kingdom (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1971)
| United Kingdom | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 55.8 million | 51.1 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 24.1% | 24.8% |
| Aged 15–64 | 62.7% | 62.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 13.2% | 12.9% |
| Median age | 34.2 yrs | 32.4 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 21.1 | 20.7 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.34 | 2.50 |
| Life expectancy | 72.2 yrs | 72.1 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.41% | +0.92% |
| Net migration (per year) | +1,175 | +144,321 |
| 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.