Italy vs France: population pyramids in 1996
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 1996, Italy has a population of 57.1 million and France 58.3 million; the two are about the same size.
The share aged 65 and over is 16.8% in Italy and 15.2% in France, 1.6 points higher in Italy. The median age is 38.9 years in Italy and 36.3 years in France.
The total fertility rate is 1.20 in Italy and 1.74 in France, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 78.4 years in Italy and 78.1 years in France.
By 2050, the population of Italy is projected to shrink by 9.0% and that of France to grow by 16.9% compared with 1996.
GDP per person is $43K in Italy (2025) and $49K in France (2025).
Key figures (1996)
| Italy | France | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57.1 million | 58.3 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 14.6% | 19.4% |
| Aged 15–64 | 68.6% | 65.4% |
| Aged 65+ | 16.8% | 15.2% |
| Median age | 38.9 yrs | 36.3 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 24.6 | 23.3 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.20 | 1.74 |
| Life expectancy | 78.4 yrs | 78.1 yrs |
| Population growth | +0.05% | +0.32% |
| Net migration (per year) | +53,450 | -21,463 |
| 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.