United Kingdom vs France: population pyramids in 1974
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 1974, the United Kingdom has a population of 56.2 million and France 52.4 million; the United Kingdom is about 1.1 times the size of France.
The share aged 65 and over is 13.8% in the United Kingdom and 13.2% in France, 0.5 points higher in the United Kingdom. The median age is 33.9 years in the United Kingdom and 31.7 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 1.91 in the United Kingdom and 2.12 in France, so only the United Kingdom is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in the United Kingdom and 72.8 years in France.
By 2050, the population of the United Kingdom is projected to grow by 34.1% and that of France to grow by 30.1% compared with 1974.
GDP per person is $58K in the United Kingdom (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1974)
| United Kingdom | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56.2 million | 52.4 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 23.8% | 24.4% |
| Aged 15–64 | 62.4% | 62.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| Median age | 33.9 yrs | 31.7 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 22.1 | 21.2 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.91 | 2.12 |
| Life expectancy | 72.4 yrs | 72.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.00% | +0.53% |
| Net migration (per year) | -65,710 | +26,203 |
| 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.