Italy vs Spain: population pyramids in 1972
ItalySpain
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 Spain compared
In 1972, Italy has a population of 53.9 million and Spain 34.3 million; Italy is about 1.6 times the size of Spain.
The share aged 65 and over is 11.4% in Italy and 9.8% in Spain, 1.6 points higher in Italy. The median age is 33.2 years in Italy and 30.0 years in Spain.
The total fertility rate is 2.35 in Italy and 2.87 in Spain, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 72.2 years in Italy and 73.0 years in Spain.
By 2050, the population of Italy is projected to shrink by 3.4% and that of Spain to grow by 31.0% compared with 1972.
GDP per person is $43K in Italy (2025) and $39K in Spain (2025).
Key figures (1972)
| Italy | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 53.9 million | 34.3 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 24.6% | 27.8% |
| Aged 15–64 | 64.0% | 62.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 11.4% | 9.8% |
| Median age | 33.2 yrs | 30.0 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 17.9 | 15.8 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.35 | 2.87 |
| Life expectancy | 72.2 yrs | 73.0 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.74% | +1.14% |
| Net migration (per year) | +43,182 | +7,935 |
| GDP | $2.55T (2025) | $1.91T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $43K (2025) | $39K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 6.4% (2025) | 10.4% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.