Population Pyramids
Objective: Interpret population pyramids to determine population
patterns and specific challenges that country may face
Population Pyramids

A population pyramid, also known as an age-sex pyramid, is a
graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age
groups in a population (typically that of a country or region of the
world), which normally forms the shape of a pyramid.
Age Distribution of the World’s Population
Population Structures by Age and Sex, 2005
Millions
Less Developed
Regions
More Developed
Regions
Age
Male
300 200 100
Female
0
100 200 300
80+
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
Male
300
100
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision, 2005.
Female
100
300
Notes on Age Distribution of the
World’s Population
• Sex and age distributions show that less developed countries have
significantly younger populations than more developed countries.
• Almost one-third of the population in less developed countries is under age
15. In contrast, less than one-fifth of the population in more developed
countries is under 15.
• Today there are more than 2 billion young people below age 20 in less
developed regions—the age cohort that will soon become the world’s newest
group of parents.
• Young age structures in the less developed countries are due mainly to
higher levels of childbearing in recent decades.
Trends in Aging, by World Region
Population Ages 65 and Older
Percent
21
14
11
10
7
6
3
World
10
6
4
Africa
Asia
2000
Latin America
and the
Caribbean
2025
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision (medium scenario), 2005.
More Developed
Regions
Notes on Trends in Aging, by World Region
• By 2025, over 20 percent of the population in more developed regions will be
ages 65 and older.
• By 2025, one-tenth of the world’s population will be over age 65.
• Asia will see the proportion of its elderly population almost double, from about
6 percent in 2000 to 10 percent in 2025. In absolute terms, this represents a stark
increase in just 25 years: from about 216 million to about 480 million older
people.
Dependency Ratio
•# of people who are too young or too old to work,
compared to the number of people in their productive
years
•Larger percentages of dependents = greater financial
burden for the working population
Dependency Ratios for Selected Countries
United States
China
France
Indonesia
Vietnam
Bangladesh
Nepal
Nigeria
.52
.49
.52
.63
.75
.72
.81
.88
US Population (2000)
About Current Estimates: Women Slightly Larger
US Population (2025)
2025 Estimates: Women Slightly Larger (esp: Older aged)
US Population (2050)
2050 Estimates: Women Larger Elderly Gap
Mexico
Canada
THE END….
information source: International Data Base, U.S. Census Bureau; applied pyramids were modified using Canvas, GraphicConverter and
GIFBuilder.
See other countries age