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United States population pyramid 1950

154,202,680 people in 1950 (historical estimate). This page shows United States’s age and sex structure in 1950 and how it differs from 2026.

1950 population
154.2Mhistorical estimate
Median age
29.0 years2026: 38.7
Under age 15
27.3%2026: 16.9%
Age 65+
8.0%2026: 18.8%

United States population pyramid

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

Historical estimate
United States population pyramid for 1950: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 1,252 (0.0%) 100+ females: 2,745 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 9,677 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 17,909 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 52,016 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 83,365 (0.1%) 90–94 85–89 males: 193,528 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 267,747 (0.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 506,756 (0.3%) 80–84 females: 634,214 (0.4%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,003,392 (0.7%) 75–79 females: 1,176,888 (0.8%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,613,602 (1.0%) 70–74 females: 1,807,032 (1.2%) 70–74 65–69 males: 2,384,186 (1.5%) 65–69 females: 2,542,874 (1.6%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,051,833 (2.0%) 60–64 females: 3,116,182 (2.0%) 60–64 55–59 males: 3,621,416 (2.3%) 55–59 females: 3,668,715 (2.4%) 55–59 50–54 males: 4,126,428 (2.7%) 50–54 females: 4,195,758 (2.7%) 50–54 45–49 males: 4,559,262 (3.0%) 45–49 females: 4,609,163 (3.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 5,183,647 (3.4%) 40–44 females: 5,248,294 (3.4%) 40–44 35–39 males: 5,625,654 (3.6%) 35–39 females: 5,763,257 (3.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 5,880,690 (3.8%) 30–34 females: 6,060,172 (3.9%) 30–34 25–29 males: 6,125,718 (4.0%) 25–29 females: 6,362,731 (4.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 5,791,597 (3.8%) 20–24 females: 5,978,883 (3.9%) 20–24 15–19 males: 5,454,230 (3.5%) 15–19 females: 5,395,289 (3.5%) 15–19 10–14 males: 5,761,053 (3.7%) 10–14 females: 5,585,557 (3.6%) 10–14 5–9 males: 6,886,231 (4.5%) 5–9 females: 6,669,379 (4.3%) 5–9 0–4 males: 8,751,915 (5.7%) 0–4 females: 8,432,442 (5.5%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

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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

Postwar births make ages 0–4 the widest band, while ages 10–19, born in the low-fertility Depression years, are pinched. Read the full analysis of United States’s pyramid.

United States age structure in 1950

In 1950, children under 15 made up 27.3% of the population, people aged 15–64 64.7%, and people aged 65 or older 8.0%. On these shares the structure is classed as transitional; see the guide to population pyramid types.

The total age dependency ratio was 54.5 (42.2 children and 12.3 people aged 65+ per 100 aged 15–64). The largest five-year groups were 0–4, 5–9, 25–29, which together accounted for 28.0% of the population.

Fertility was 3.09 births per woman and life expectancy at birth 68.1 years. The population changed by +1.47% during the year.

United States in 1950 compared with 2026

Between 1950 and 2026, United States’s population grew by 126% and the median age rose by 9.7 years. The table sets the two years side by side; percentage-point differences compare shares, not counts.

Indicator19502026Change
Population154,202,680349,035,494+126.3%
Median age (years)29.038.7+9.7
Under 1527.3%16.9%−10.4 pts
Aged 15–6464.7%64.3%−0.4 pts
Aged 65+8.0%18.8%+10.8 pts
Fertility rate3.091.62−1.47
Life expectancy (years)68.179.8+11.7
Males per 100 females98.7101.0+2.3

United States 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
0–48,751,9158,432,44217,184,35711.1%
5–96,886,2316,669,37913,555,6108.8%
10–145,761,0535,585,55711,346,6107.4%
15–195,454,2305,395,28910,849,5197.0%
20–245,791,5975,978,88311,770,4807.6%
25–296,125,7186,362,73112,488,4498.1%
30–345,880,6906,060,17211,940,8627.7%
35–395,625,6545,763,25711,388,9117.4%
40–445,183,6475,248,29410,431,9416.8%
45–494,559,2624,609,1639,168,4255.9%
50–544,126,4284,195,7588,322,1865.4%
55–593,621,4163,668,7157,290,1314.7%
60–643,051,8333,116,1826,168,0154.0%
65–692,384,1862,542,8744,927,0603.2%
70–741,613,6021,807,0323,420,6342.2%
75–791,003,3921,176,8882,180,2801.4%
80–84506,756634,2141,140,9700.7%
85–89193,528267,747461,2750.3%
90–9452,01683,365135,3810.1%
95–999,67717,90927,5860.0%
100+1,2522,7453,9970.0%

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APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

World Population Pyramid. “United States Population Pyramid 1950.” Last modified September 28, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/united-states/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 States in 1950?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates United States's population in 1950 at 154,202,680.

What was the median age in United States in 1950?

The median age was 29.0 years, compared with 38.7 years in 2026.

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

27.3% were under 15 and 8.0% aged 65 or older, giving a total age dependency ratio of 54.5.

Sources and notes