Italy vs France: population pyramids in 1974
ItalyFrance
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 France compared
In 1974, Italy has a population of 54.6 million and France 52.4 million; the two are about the same size.
The share aged 65 and over is 11.8% in Italy and 13.2% in France, 1.4 points higher in France. The median age is 33.4 years in Italy and 31.7 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 2.29 in Italy and 2.12 in France, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 72.8 years in Italy and 72.8 years in France.
By 2050, the population of Italy is projected to shrink by 4.8% and that of France to grow by 30.1% compared with 1974.
GDP per person is $43K in Italy (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1974)
| Italy | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54.6 million | 52.4 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 24.5% | 24.4% |
| Aged 15–64 | 63.7% | 62.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 11.8% | 13.2% |
| Median age | 33.4 yrs | 31.7 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 18.6 | 21.2 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.29 | 2.12 |
| Life expectancy | 72.8 yrs | 72.8 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.69% | +0.53% |
| Net migration (per year) | +42,487 | +26,203 |
| GDP | $2.55T (2025) | $3.37T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $43K (2025) | $49K (2025) |
| Unemployment | 6.4% (2025) | 7.5% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.