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Germany vs Ethiopia: population pyramids compared

Ethiopia is about 1.7 times as large as Germany, but size is only part of the story. Compare the two age structures on one percentage scale for 2026 and 2050, with every indicator side by side.

Estimate or projection?

UN estimates run through 2023; figures from 2024 onward are medium-scenario projections.

Germany and Ethiopia in 2026

Germany population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Germany population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 3,531 (0.0%) 100+ females: 16,727 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 49,495 (0.1%) 95–99 females: 138,663 (0.2%) 95–99 90–94 males: 282,832 (0.3%) 90–94 females: 561,500 (0.7%) 90–94 85–89 males: 913,739 (1.1%) 85–89 females: 1,438,953 (1.7%) 85–89 80–84 males: 1,178,305 (1.4%) 80–84 females: 1,585,905 (1.9%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,669,015 (2.0%) 75–79 females: 2,036,290 (2.4%) 75–79 70–74 males: 2,167,320 (2.6%) 70–74 females: 2,495,422 (3.0%) 70–74 65–69 males: 2,778,794 (3.3%) 65–69 females: 2,960,477 (3.5%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,353,756 (4.0%) 60–64 females: 3,411,641 (4.1%) 60–64 55–59 males: 3,199,064 (3.8%) 55–59 females: 3,201,084 (3.8%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,513,063 (3.0%) 50–54 females: 2,513,146 (3.0%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,590,776 (3.1%) 45–49 females: 2,574,345 (3.1%) 45–49 40–44 males: 2,733,293 (3.3%) 40–44 females: 2,646,651 (3.2%) 40–44 35–39 males: 2,892,805 (3.5%) 35–39 females: 2,721,525 (3.3%) 35–39 30–34 males: 2,542,408 (3.0%) 30–34 females: 2,350,023 (2.8%) 30–34 25–29 males: 2,389,617 (2.9%) 25–29 females: 2,176,611 (2.6%) 25–29 20–24 males: 2,106,379 (2.5%) 20–24 females: 1,981,678 (2.4%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,992,957 (2.4%) 15–19 females: 1,884,320 (2.3%) 15–19 10–14 males: 2,015,118 (2.4%) 10–14 females: 1,908,872 (2.3%) 10–14 5–9 males: 2,078,939 (2.5%) 5–9 females: 1,974,075 (2.4%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,855,807 (2.2%) 0–4 females: 1,759,337 (2.1%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Ethiopia population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Ethiopia population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 55 (0.0%) 100+ females: 202 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 1,203 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 3,227 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 12,204 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 24,095 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 60,073 (0.0%) 85–89 females: 96,653 (0.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 176,935 (0.1%) 80–84 females: 253,775 (0.2%) 80–84 75–79 males: 352,837 (0.3%) 75–79 females: 462,399 (0.3%) 75–79 70–74 males: 575,612 (0.4%) 70–74 females: 705,077 (0.5%) 70–74 65–69 males: 894,716 (0.6%) 65–69 females: 1,055,392 (0.8%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,275,523 (0.9%) 60–64 females: 1,467,400 (1.1%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,633,552 (1.2%) 55–59 females: 1,838,571 (1.3%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,004,056 (1.4%) 50–54 females: 2,157,305 (1.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,534,259 (1.8%) 45–49 females: 2,597,282 (1.9%) 45–49 40–44 males: 3,046,344 (2.2%) 40–44 females: 3,064,273 (2.2%) 40–44 35–39 males: 4,038,151 (2.9%) 35–39 females: 4,030,720 (2.9%) 35–39 30–34 males: 5,054,097 (3.6%) 30–34 females: 5,020,329 (3.6%) 30–34 25–29 males: 6,013,740 (4.3%) 25–29 females: 5,961,493 (4.3%) 25–29 20–24 males: 7,076,678 (5.1%) 20–24 females: 6,969,220 (5.0%) 20–24 15–19 males: 7,575,889 (5.5%) 15–19 females: 7,372,854 (5.3%) 15–19 10–14 males: 7,941,940 (5.7%) 10–14 females: 7,690,006 (5.5%) 10–14 5–9 males: 9,163,633 (6.6%) 5–9 females: 8,822,079 (6.4%) 5–9 0–4 males: 10,161,985 (7.3%) 0–4 females: 9,716,350 (7.0%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between Germany and Ethiopia

Age. Germany is the older population, with a median age of 45.7 years against 19.3 in Ethiopia — a gap of 26.4 years. Ethiopia has the larger share of children (38.5% under 15 versus 13.9%), while Germany has the larger share aged 65 and over (24.2% versus 3.4%).

Births and survival. Ethiopia’s fertility rate of 3.72 is above the replacement level, and Germany’s 1.46 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 81.9 years in Germany and 68.1 in Ethiopia.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 61.6 in Germany (22.4 children and 39.2 older people per 100 aged 15–64) and 72.1 in Ethiopia (66.3 and 5.8). Similar totals can hide very different mixes of young and old.

Outlook. Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario has Germany’s population declines by 6% and Ethiopia’s grows by 62%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

Germany vs Ethiopia: indicators side by side

IndicatorGermanyEthiopia
Population, 202683,644,258138,902,185
Median age45.7 years19.3 years
Under age 1513.9%38.5%
Aged 15–6461.9%58.1%
Aged 65+24.2%3.4%
Age dependency ratio61.672.1
Fertility rate1.463.72
Life expectancy at birth81.9 years68.1 years
Annual growth-0.2%+2.5%
Males per 100 females97.6100.4
Population, 205078,294,613225,021,874
Change, 2026–2050-6.4%+62.0%
Population, 210070,899,863367,289,596
Peak year2024Still rising in 2100
Global population rank#19#10

2026, 2050, and 2100 values are UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium-scenario projections.

How the two pyramids could look in 2050

The same scale is kept for the projected charts, so a narrowing base or widening top can be compared directly with the 2026 shapes above.

Germany population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Germany population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 13,361 (0.0%) 100+ females: 30,763 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 136,868 (0.2%) 95–99 females: 260,315 (0.3%) 95–99 90–94 males: 628,931 (0.8%) 90–94 females: 954,623 (1.2%) 90–94 85–89 males: 1,527,955 (2.0%) 85–89 females: 1,990,029 (2.5%) 85–89 80–84 males: 2,129,318 (2.7%) 80–84 females: 2,520,754 (3.2%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,982,045 (2.5%) 75–79 females: 2,231,661 (2.9%) 75–79 70–74 males: 2,118,374 (2.7%) 70–74 females: 2,285,227 (2.9%) 70–74 65–69 males: 2,414,803 (3.1%) 65–69 females: 2,485,520 (3.2%) 65–69 60–64 males: 2,670,443 (3.4%) 60–64 females: 2,609,758 (3.3%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,466,111 (3.1%) 55–59 females: 2,337,872 (3.0%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,308,354 (2.9%) 50–54 females: 2,129,648 (2.7%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,107,320 (2.7%) 45–49 females: 2,003,876 (2.6%) 45–49 40–44 males: 2,215,577 (2.8%) 40–44 females: 2,127,035 (2.7%) 40–44 35–39 males: 2,291,597 (2.9%) 35–39 females: 2,200,269 (2.8%) 35–39 30–34 males: 2,443,021 (3.1%) 30–34 females: 2,347,366 (3.0%) 30–34 25–29 males: 2,310,377 (3.0%) 25–29 females: 2,213,754 (2.8%) 25–29 20–24 males: 2,071,260 (2.6%) 20–24 females: 1,978,227 (2.5%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,780,700 (2.3%) 15–19 females: 1,694,348 (2.2%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,729,179 (2.2%) 10–14 females: 1,642,139 (2.1%) 10–14 5–9 males: 1,759,166 (2.2%) 5–9 females: 1,668,067 (2.1%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,787,187 (2.3%) 0–4 females: 1,691,412 (2.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Ethiopia population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Ethiopia population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 331 (0.0%) 100+ females: 1,609 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 5,327 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 17,343 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 44,928 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 102,391 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 195,813 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 348,849 (0.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 502,058 (0.2%) 80–84 females: 776,790 (0.3%) 80–84 75–79 males: 934,322 (0.4%) 75–79 females: 1,270,914 (0.6%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,520,773 (0.7%) 70–74 females: 1,841,899 (0.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 2,107,526 (0.9%) 65–69 females: 2,382,264 (1.1%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,026,418 (1.3%) 60–64 females: 3,279,402 (1.5%) 60–64 55–59 males: 4,001,260 (1.8%) 55–59 females: 4,219,918 (1.9%) 55–59 50–54 males: 4,887,304 (2.2%) 50–54 females: 5,059,972 (2.2%) 50–54 45–49 males: 5,954,412 (2.6%) 45–49 females: 6,079,799 (2.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 6,950,676 (3.1%) 40–44 females: 6,985,430 (3.1%) 40–44 35–39 males: 7,512,377 (3.3%) 35–39 females: 7,464,607 (3.3%) 35–39 30–34 males: 8,809,326 (3.9%) 30–34 females: 8,686,629 (3.9%) 30–34 25–29 males: 10,157,159 (4.5%) 25–29 females: 9,943,041 (4.4%) 25–29 20–24 males: 10,746,865 (4.8%) 20–24 females: 10,460,608 (4.6%) 20–24 15–19 males: 10,754,686 (4.8%) 15–19 females: 10,397,650 (4.6%) 15–19 10–14 males: 11,034,941 (4.9%) 10–14 females: 10,627,489 (4.7%) 10–14 5–9 males: 11,513,301 (5.1%) 5–9 females: 11,047,666 (4.9%) 5–9 0–4 males: 11,948,443 (5.3%) 0–4 females: 11,419,359 (5.1%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

What shapes Germany’s pyramid

Germany’s pyramid is top-heavy around the 1960s baby boom at ages 55–64, cut sharply below by the 1970s birth slump and widened at 35–39 by migrants. Read the full Germany analysis.

What shapes Ethiopia’s pyramid

Ethiopia’s pyramid is still broad-based, but the step between its youngest bands has more than halved since 2000 as fertility fell sharply. Read the full Ethiopia analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about Germany and Ethiopia

Which population is older, Germany or Ethiopia?

Germany is older: its projected 2026 median age is 45.7 years, compared with 19.3 in Ethiopia.

Which has a higher fertility rate, Germany or Ethiopia?

Ethiopia has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 3.72 births per woman, against 1.46 in Germany.

Will Germany or Ethiopia have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, Ethiopia is projected to be larger in 2050, with 225M people against 78.3M.