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United Kingdom population pyramid 1950

50,121,017 people in 1950 (historical estimate). This page shows United Kingdom’s age and sex structure in 1950 and how it differs from 2026.

1950 population
50.1Mhistorical estimate
Median age
33.9 years2026: 40.2
Under age 15
22.5%2026: 16.7%
Age 65+
10.8%2026: 19.9%

United Kingdom population pyramid

1950 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Historical estimate
United Kingdom population pyramid for 1950: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 47 (0.0%) 100+ females: 268 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 1,068 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 4,101 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 10,797 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 30,036 (0.1%) 90–94 85–89 males: 58,712 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 123,563 (0.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 190,152 (0.4%) 80–84 females: 320,892 (0.6%) 80–84 75–79 males: 425,404 (0.8%) 75–79 females: 605,631 (1.2%) 75–79 70–74 males: 678,418 (1.4%) 70–74 females: 921,202 (1.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 888,769 (1.8%) 65–69 females: 1,166,495 (2.3%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,069,258 (2.1%) 60–64 females: 1,347,465 (2.7%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,232,739 (2.5%) 55–59 females: 1,504,616 (3.0%) 55–59 50–54 males: 1,456,461 (2.9%) 50–54 females: 1,678,256 (3.3%) 50–54 45–49 males: 1,736,417 (3.5%) 45–49 females: 1,835,429 (3.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,897,844 (3.8%) 40–44 females: 1,943,008 (3.9%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,898,770 (3.8%) 35–39 females: 1,953,926 (3.9%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,706,980 (3.4%) 30–34 females: 1,757,198 (3.5%) 30–34 25–29 males: 1,906,394 (3.8%) 25–29 females: 1,943,680 (3.9%) 25–29 20–24 males: 1,665,816 (3.3%) 20–24 females: 1,744,975 (3.5%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,529,219 (3.1%) 15–19 females: 1,631,679 (3.3%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,688,853 (3.4%) 10–14 females: 1,633,772 (3.3%) 10–14 5–9 males: 1,840,729 (3.7%) 5–9 females: 1,763,711 (3.5%) 5–9 0–4 males: 2,217,026 (4.4%) 0–4 females: 2,111,235 (4.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

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Use the publication-ready SVG, create a high-resolution PNG, or download the complete age-by-sex dataset.

SVG CSV data

Historical estimate

Values for 1950 are UN estimates reconstructed from censuses, surveys, and registration data available up to 2023; earlier years generally carry more uncertainty.

What to notice in 1950

Narrow bands at ages 10–19 reflect the interwar birth slump; below them, postwar births widen the base at 0–4. Read the full analysis of United Kingdom’s pyramid.

United Kingdom age structure in 1950

In 1950, children under 15 made up 22.5% of the population, people aged 15–64 66.7%, and people aged 65 or older 10.8%. On these shares the structure is classed as transitional; see the guide to population pyramid types.

The total age dependency ratio was 49.9 (33.7 children and 16.2 people aged 65+ per 100 aged 15–64). The largest five-year groups were 0–4, 35–39, 25–29, which together accounted for 24.0% of the population.

Fertility was 2.22 births per woman and life expectancy at birth 68.6 years. The population changed by +0.76% during the year.

United Kingdom in 1950 compared with 2026

Between 1950 and 2026, United Kingdom’s population grew by 40% and the median age rose by 6.3 years. The table sets the two years side by side; percentage-point differences compare shares, not counts.

Indicator19502026Change
Population50,121,01769,931,528+39.5%
Median age (years)33.940.2+6.3
Under 1522.5%16.7%−5.8 pts
Aged 15–6466.7%63.3%−3.4 pts
Aged 65+10.8%19.9%+9.1 pts
Fertility rate2.221.53−0.69
Life expectancy (years)68.681.7+13.1
Males per 100 females92.697.1+4.5

United Kingdom population by age and sex in 1950

Counts by five-year age group, with everyone aged 100 or older combined. Download the CSV for every chart year.

Age groupMaleFemaleTotalShare
0–42,217,0262,111,2354,328,2618.6%
5–91,840,7291,763,7113,604,4407.2%
10–141,688,8531,633,7723,322,6256.6%
15–191,529,2191,631,6793,160,8986.3%
20–241,665,8161,744,9753,410,7916.8%
25–291,906,3941,943,6803,850,0747.7%
30–341,706,9801,757,1983,464,1786.9%
35–391,898,7701,953,9263,852,6967.7%
40–441,897,8441,943,0083,840,8527.7%
45–491,736,4171,835,4293,571,8467.1%
50–541,456,4611,678,2563,134,7176.3%
55–591,232,7391,504,6162,737,3555.5%
60–641,069,2581,347,4652,416,7234.8%
65–69888,7691,166,4952,055,2644.1%
70–74678,418921,2021,599,6203.2%
75–79425,404605,6311,031,0352.1%
80–84190,152320,892511,0441.0%
85–8958,712123,563182,2750.4%
90–9410,79730,03640,8330.1%
95–991,0684,1015,1690.0%
100+472683150.0%

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APA

World Population Pyramid. (2026, September 28). United Kingdom Population Pyramid 1950. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/united-kingdom/1950/

MLA

“United Kingdom Population Pyramid 1950.” World Population Pyramid, 28 Sept. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/united-kingdom/1950/.

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World Population Pyramid. “United Kingdom Population Pyramid 1950.” Last modified September 28, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/united-kingdom/1950/.

Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.

Frequently asked questions

What was the population of United Kingdom in 1950?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates United Kingdom's population in 1950 at 50,121,017.

What was the median age in United Kingdom in 1950?

The median age was 33.9 years, compared with 40.2 years in 2026.

What share of United Kingdom was under 15 or 65+ in 1950?

22.5% were under 15 and 10.8% aged 65 or older, giving a total age dependency ratio of 49.9.

Sources and notes