Italy vs Germany: population pyramids in 1971
ItalyGermany
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.
Italy and Germany compared
In 1971, Italy has a population of 53.5 million and Germany 78.1 million; Germany is about 1.5 times the size of Italy.
The share aged 65 and over is 11.2% in Italy and 13.8% in Germany, 2.6 points higher in Germany. The median age is 33.0 years in Italy and 34.3 years in Germany.
The total fertility rate is 2.40 in Italy and 1.95 in Germany, so only Germany is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 71.9 years in Italy and 70.9 years in Germany.
By 2050, the population of Italy is projected to shrink by 2.8% and that of Germany to grow by 0.3% compared with 1971.
GDP per person is $43K in Italy (2025) and $60K in Germany (2025).
Key figures (1971)
| Italy | Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 53.5 million | 78.1 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 24.7% | 23.1% |
| Aged 15–64 | 64.2% | 63.1% |
| Aged 65+ | 11.2% | 13.8% |
| Median age | 33.0 yrs | 34.3 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 17.4 | 21.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.40 | 1.95 |
| Life expectancy | 71.9 yrs | 70.9 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.59% | +0.62% |
| Net migration (per year) | -58,627 | +450,328 |
| GDP | $2.55T (2025) | $5.05T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $43K (2025) | $60K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 6.4% (2025) | 3.7% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.