Germany vs France: population pyramids compared

Germany is about 1.3 times as large as France, 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 France 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%

France population pyramid

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

Medium projection
France population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 5,342 (0.0%) 100+ females: 29,724 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 54,374 (0.1%) 95–99 females: 183,244 (0.3%) 95–99 90–94 males: 232,560 (0.3%) 90–94 females: 515,977 (0.8%) 90–94 85–89 males: 507,163 (0.8%) 85–89 females: 823,182 (1.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 854,491 (1.3%) 80–84 females: 1,165,704 (1.7%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,490,075 (2.2%) 75–79 females: 1,854,022 (2.8%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,662,845 (2.5%) 70–74 females: 1,973,315 (3.0%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,858,793 (2.8%) 65–69 females: 2,093,058 (3.1%) 65–69 60–64 males: 2,012,323 (3.0%) 60–64 females: 2,184,552 (3.3%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,055,273 (3.1%) 55–59 females: 2,179,987 (3.3%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,103,318 (3.2%) 50–54 females: 2,152,320 (3.2%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,034,562 (3.0%) 45–49 females: 2,082,601 (3.1%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,944,010 (2.9%) 40–44 females: 2,044,729 (3.1%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,930,701 (2.9%) 35–39 females: 1,995,883 (3.0%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,834,426 (2.7%) 30–34 females: 1,838,767 (2.8%) 30–34 25–29 males: 2,030,111 (3.0%) 25–29 females: 1,958,228 (2.9%) 25–29 20–24 males: 2,175,338 (3.3%) 20–24 females: 2,075,425 (3.1%) 20–24 15–19 males: 2,128,497 (3.2%) 15–19 females: 2,031,149 (3.0%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,983,922 (3.0%) 10–14 females: 1,894,571 (2.8%) 10–14 5–9 males: 1,784,790 (2.7%) 5–9 females: 1,707,126 (2.6%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,676,448 (2.5%) 0–4 females: 1,603,474 (2.4%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between Germany and France

Age. Germany is the older population, with a median age of 45.7 years against 42.5 in France — a gap of 3.2 years. France has the larger share of children (16.0% under 15 versus 13.9%), while Germany has the larger share aged 65 and over (24.2% versus 22.9%).

Births and survival. France’s fertility rate of 1.64 is below the replacement level, and Germany’s 1.46 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 83.7 years in France and 81.9 in Germany.

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 63.6 in France (26.1 and 37.5). 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 France’s grows by 2%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

Germany vs France: indicators side by side

IndicatorGermanyFrance
Population, 202683,644,25866,746,401
Median age45.7 years42.5 years
Under age 1513.9%16.0%
Aged 15–6461.9%61.1%
Aged 65+24.2%22.9%
Age dependency ratio61.663.6
Fertility rate1.461.64
Life expectancy at birth81.9 years83.7 years
Annual growth-0.2%+0.1%
Males per 100 females97.694.1
Population, 205078,294,61368,219,675
Change, 2026–2050-6.4%+2.2%
Population, 210070,899,86368,484,558
Peak year20242095
Global population rank#19#23

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%

France population pyramid

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

Medium projection
France population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 22,686 (0.0%) 100+ females: 76,851 (0.1%) 100+ 95–99 males: 161,840 (0.2%) 95–99 females: 385,773 (0.6%) 95–99 90–94 males: 544,347 (0.8%) 90–94 females: 964,370 (1.4%) 90–94 85–89 males: 1,048,149 (1.5%) 85–89 females: 1,516,345 (2.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 1,397,507 (2.0%) 80–84 females: 1,800,228 (2.6%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,661,692 (2.4%) 75–79 females: 1,956,408 (2.9%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,687,859 (2.5%) 70–74 females: 1,897,643 (2.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,730,044 (2.5%) 65–69 females: 1,950,093 (2.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,761,620 (2.6%) 60–64 females: 1,926,048 (2.8%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,700,719 (2.5%) 55–59 females: 1,776,912 (2.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 1,828,604 (2.7%) 50–54 females: 1,829,688 (2.7%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,051,780 (3.0%) 45–49 females: 2,016,939 (3.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 2,225,598 (3.3%) 40–44 females: 2,204,626 (3.2%) 40–44 35–39 males: 2,171,661 (3.2%) 35–39 females: 2,154,742 (3.2%) 35–39 30–34 males: 2,039,813 (3.0%) 30–34 females: 2,025,526 (3.0%) 30–34 25–29 males: 1,971,994 (2.9%) 25–29 females: 1,958,378 (2.9%) 25–29 20–24 males: 1,857,445 (2.7%) 20–24 females: 1,826,056 (2.7%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,762,593 (2.6%) 15–19 females: 1,707,230 (2.5%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,817,372 (2.7%) 10–14 females: 1,750,683 (2.6%) 10–14 5–9 males: 1,835,661 (2.7%) 5–9 females: 1,761,870 (2.6%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,766,831 (2.6%) 0–4 females: 1,687,447 (2.5%) 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 France’s pyramid

France’s pyramid still carries scars of both world wars, yet its baby boom and relatively high fertility keep the base wider than most of Europe. Read the full France analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about Germany and France

Which population is older, Germany or France?

Germany is older: its projected 2026 median age is 45.7 years, compared with 42.5 in France.

Which has a higher fertility rate, Germany or France?

France has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 1.64 births per woman, against 1.46 in Germany.

Will Germany or France have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, Germany is projected to be larger in 2050, with 78.3M people against 68.2M.