United Kingdom vs France: population pyramids in 1998
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 1998, the United Kingdom has a population of 58.5 million and France 58.7 million; the two are about the same size.
The share aged 65 and over is 16.0% in the United Kingdom and 15.6% in France, almost the same. The median age is 37.1 years in the United Kingdom and 36.9 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 1.71 in the United Kingdom and 1.76 in France, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 77.3 years in the United Kingdom and 78.6 years in France.
By 2050, the population of the United Kingdom is projected to grow by 28.9% and that of France to grow by 16.2% compared with 1998.
GDP per person is $58K in the United Kingdom (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1998)
| United Kingdom | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58.5 million | 58.7 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 19.3% | 19.0% |
| Aged 15–64 | 64.7% | 65.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 16.0% | 15.6% |
| Median age | 37.1 yrs | 36.9 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 24.7 | 23.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.71 | 1.76 |
| Life expectancy | 77.3 yrs | 78.6 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.36% | +0.39% |
| Net migration (per year) | +125,541 | +20,216 |
| 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.