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Russia vs China: population pyramids compared

China is about 9.9 times as large as Russia, 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.

Russia and China in 2026

Russia population pyramid

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

Medium projection
Russia population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 3,813 (0.0%) 100+ females: 20,628 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 39,904 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 160,223 (0.1%) 95–99 90–94 males: 135,733 (0.1%) 90–94 females: 504,140 (0.4%) 90–94 85–89 males: 471,945 (0.3%) 85–89 females: 1,561,783 (1.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 515,637 (0.4%) 80–84 females: 1,358,533 (0.9%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,607,152 (1.1%) 75–79 females: 3,443,050 (2.4%) 75–79 70–74 males: 2,578,383 (1.8%) 70–74 females: 4,695,029 (3.3%) 70–74 65–69 males: 3,644,265 (2.5%) 65–69 females: 5,596,654 (3.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,834,479 (2.7%) 60–64 females: 5,087,316 (3.5%) 60–64 55–59 males: 3,835,939 (2.7%) 55–59 females: 4,558,858 (3.2%) 55–59 50–54 males: 4,496,721 (3.1%) 50–54 females: 5,174,932 (3.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 5,087,997 (3.5%) 45–49 females: 5,563,864 (3.9%) 45–49 40–44 males: 5,879,225 (4.1%) 40–44 females: 6,110,845 (4.3%) 40–44 35–39 males: 6,057,628 (4.2%) 35–39 females: 6,040,107 (4.2%) 35–39 30–34 males: 4,192,709 (2.9%) 30–34 females: 4,093,095 (2.9%) 30–34 25–29 males: 3,509,349 (2.4%) 25–29 females: 3,397,539 (2.4%) 25–29 20–24 males: 3,911,972 (2.7%) 20–24 females: 3,775,057 (2.6%) 20–24 15–19 males: 4,330,431 (3.0%) 15–19 females: 4,128,619 (2.9%) 15–19 10–14 males: 4,930,481 (3.4%) 10–14 females: 4,667,017 (3.3%) 10–14 5–9 males: 4,093,544 (2.9%) 5–9 females: 3,872,528 (2.7%) 5–9 0–4 males: 3,301,939 (2.3%) 0–4 females: 3,125,391 (2.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

China population pyramid

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

Medium projection
China population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 4,341 (0.0%) 100+ females: 48,372 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 138,219 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 546,329 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 1,220,953 (0.1%) 90–94 females: 2,877,048 (0.2%) 90–94 85–89 males: 4,219,703 (0.3%) 85–89 females: 7,091,868 (0.5%) 85–89 80–84 males: 9,334,663 (0.7%) 80–84 females: 13,003,786 (0.9%) 80–84 75–79 males: 18,687,832 (1.3%) 75–79 females: 23,697,183 (1.7%) 75–79 70–74 males: 30,704,345 (2.2%) 70–74 females: 36,374,753 (2.6%) 70–74 65–69 males: 31,394,266 (2.2%) 65–69 females: 34,433,815 (2.4%) 65–69 60–64 males: 50,867,520 (3.6%) 60–64 females: 52,813,111 (3.7%) 60–64 55–59 males: 59,033,504 (4.2%) 55–59 females: 59,415,075 (4.2%) 55–59 50–54 males: 55,143,349 (3.9%) 50–54 females: 54,078,416 (3.8%) 50–54 45–49 males: 47,164,339 (3.3%) 45–49 females: 45,300,863 (3.2%) 45–49 40–44 males: 54,302,383 (3.8%) 40–44 females: 51,170,709 (3.6%) 40–44 35–39 males: 63,689,179 (4.5%) 35–39 females: 58,292,077 (4.1%) 35–39 30–34 males: 49,167,853 (3.5%) 30–34 females: 43,509,173 (3.1%) 30–34 25–29 males: 43,779,311 (3.1%) 25–29 females: 37,770,563 (2.7%) 25–29 20–24 males: 42,415,497 (3.0%) 20–24 females: 36,141,865 (2.6%) 20–24 15–19 males: 46,340,094 (3.3%) 15–19 females: 39,577,852 (2.8%) 15–19 10–14 males: 48,503,553 (3.4%) 10–14 females: 41,971,001 (3.0%) 10–14 5–9 males: 39,075,711 (2.8%) 5–9 females: 34,559,683 (2.4%) 5–9 0–4 males: 23,622,185 (1.7%) 0–4 females: 21,431,744 (1.5%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between Russia and China

Age. Russia is the older population, with a median age of 40.7 years against 40.6 in China, a negligible gap. Russia has the larger share of children (16.7% under 15 versus 14.8%), while Russia has the larger share aged 65 and over (18.4% versus 15.1%).

Births and survival. Russia’s fertility rate of 1.47 is below the replacement level, and China’s 1.03 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 79.0 years in China and 73.7 in Russia.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 54.1 in Russia (25.8 children and 28.3 older people per 100 aged 15–64) and 42.7 in China (21.1 and 21.6). Similar totals can hide very different mixes of young and old.

Outlook. Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario has Russia’s population declines by 5% and China’s declines by 11%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

Russia vs China: indicators side by side

IndicatorRussiaChina
Population, 2026143,394,4581,412,914,089
Median age40.7 years40.6 years
Under age 1516.7%14.8%
Aged 15–6464.9%70.1%
Aged 65+18.4%15.1%
Age dependency ratio54.142.7
Fertility rate1.471.03
Life expectancy at birth73.7 years79.0 years
Annual growth-0.2%-0.2%
Males per 100 females86.4103.6
Population, 2050136,132,7751,260,289,093
Change, 2026–2050-5.1%-10.8%
Population, 2100126,386,515633,368,113
Peak year19912021
Global population rank#9#2

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.

Russia population pyramid

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

Medium projection
Russia population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 16,899 (0.0%) 100+ females: 66,806 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 107,307 (0.1%) 95–99 females: 377,090 (0.3%) 95–99 90–94 males: 405,971 (0.3%) 90–94 females: 1,251,980 (0.9%) 90–94 85–89 males: 900,372 (0.7%) 85–89 females: 2,254,019 (1.7%) 85–89 80–84 males: 1,368,895 (1.0%) 80–84 females: 2,779,771 (2.0%) 80–84 75–79 males: 2,185,597 (1.6%) 75–79 females: 3,840,876 (2.8%) 75–79 70–74 males: 3,023,053 (2.2%) 70–74 females: 4,647,346 (3.4%) 70–74 65–69 males: 3,919,468 (2.9%) 65–69 females: 5,305,801 (3.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 4,718,631 (3.5%) 60–64 females: 5,735,953 (4.2%) 60–64 55–59 males: 3,716,695 (2.7%) 55–59 females: 4,159,398 (3.1%) 55–59 50–54 males: 3,042,401 (2.2%) 50–54 females: 3,206,637 (2.4%) 50–54 45–49 males: 3,566,458 (2.6%) 45–49 females: 3,627,380 (2.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 4,411,830 (3.2%) 40–44 females: 4,388,229 (3.2%) 40–44 35–39 males: 5,260,361 (3.9%) 35–39 females: 5,121,731 (3.8%) 35–39 30–34 males: 4,911,262 (3.6%) 30–34 females: 4,743,520 (3.5%) 30–34 25–29 males: 4,104,701 (3.0%) 25–29 females: 3,958,742 (2.9%) 25–29 20–24 males: 3,659,732 (2.7%) 20–24 females: 3,522,451 (2.6%) 20–24 15–19 males: 3,338,753 (2.5%) 15–19 females: 3,179,028 (2.3%) 15–19 10–14 males: 3,513,916 (2.6%) 10–14 females: 3,336,964 (2.5%) 10–14 5–9 males: 3,745,649 (2.8%) 5–9 females: 3,555,514 (2.6%) 5–9 0–4 males: 3,672,117 (2.7%) 0–4 females: 3,483,468 (2.6%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

China population pyramid

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

Medium projection
China population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 55,075 (0.0%) 100+ females: 330,553 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 1,081,873 (0.1%) 95–99 females: 3,112,890 (0.2%) 95–99 90–94 males: 5,003,585 (0.4%) 90–94 females: 9,569,733 (0.8%) 90–94 85–89 males: 16,537,541 (1.3%) 85–89 females: 24,171,448 (1.9%) 85–89 80–84 males: 31,824,746 (2.5%) 80–84 females: 40,377,803 (3.2%) 80–84 75–79 males: 40,441,408 (3.2%) 75–79 females: 46,401,808 (3.7%) 75–79 70–74 males: 37,821,349 (3.0%) 70–74 females: 40,307,226 (3.2%) 70–74 65–69 males: 46,103,908 (3.7%) 65–69 females: 46,536,458 (3.7%) 65–69 60–64 males: 58,411,133 (4.6%) 60–64 females: 55,918,906 (4.4%) 60–64 55–59 males: 49,691,348 (3.9%) 55–59 females: 45,343,506 (3.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 43,219,668 (3.4%) 50–54 females: 37,980,580 (3.0%) 50–54 45–49 males: 41,725,938 (3.3%) 45–49 females: 35,891,461 (2.8%) 45–49 40–44 males: 44,633,383 (3.5%) 40–44 females: 38,141,647 (3.0%) 40–44 35–39 males: 47,457,181 (3.8%) 35–39 females: 40,912,096 (3.2%) 35–39 30–34 males: 41,757,181 (3.3%) 30–34 females: 36,643,899 (2.9%) 30–34 25–29 males: 24,045,679 (1.9%) 25–29 females: 21,623,096 (1.7%) 25–29 20–24 males: 21,315,635 (1.7%) 20–24 females: 19,522,436 (1.5%) 20–24 15–19 males: 21,251,827 (1.7%) 15–19 females: 19,804,263 (1.6%) 15–19 10–14 males: 21,857,089 (1.7%) 10–14 females: 20,492,676 (1.6%) 10–14 5–9 males: 22,168,251 (1.8%) 5–9 females: 20,840,371 (1.7%) 5–9 0–4 males: 20,582,914 (1.6%) 0–4 females: 19,379,528 (1.5%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

What shapes Russia’s pyramid

Russia’s pyramid is jagged with echoes of the Second World War and the 1990s birth collapse, and it has one of the largest female surpluses at older ages. Read the full Russia analysis.

What shapes China’s pyramid

China’s pyramid carries a famine notch at ages 65–69, a 1960s baby-boom bulge above 55 and a thin, male-heavy base after decades of birth limits. Read the full China analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about Russia and China

Which population is older, Russia or China?

Russia is older: its projected 2026 median age is 40.7 years, compared with 40.6 in China.

Which has a higher fertility rate, Russia or China?

Russia has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 1.47 births per woman, against 1.03 in China.

Will Russia or China have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, China is projected to be larger in 2050, with 1.26B people against 136.1M.