Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

World Population Pyramid 1981

World
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1981
Population: 4,528,777,306

Year

-5 -1   1981  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

World in 1981

As of 1981, the World counted 4,528,777,306 inhabitants. A decade earlier, in 1971, the population was 3,769,847,865; it has grown by 20.1% since.

The median age was 22.6 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there were 59.6 children under 15 and 9.8 people aged 65 or over. The broad-based, expansive shape of the pyramid points to high fertility and strong population growth.

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for World
Population
4,528,777,306
Median age
22.6
0-14 %
35.2%
65+ %
5.8%
Child dependency
59.6
Old-age dependency
9.8
Pyramid shape
Expansive
What is driving the change
Births per woman

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

Life expectancy at birth

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
18355270
19502100
Migration to and from World
Where immigrants come from (2024)

281,808,905 immigrants live in World.

India18,533,845
China11,701,619
Mexico11,596,529
Ukraine9,769,216
Russian Federation9,134,094
Where emigrants live (2024)

303,611,211 people born in World live in other countries.

United States of America52,375,047
Germany16,750,084
Saudi Arabia13,683,841
United Kingdom11,845,479
France9,186,757
Explore
Immigration statistics

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

Frequently asked questions about World's population
How many people lived in the World in 1981?
In 1981, the World's population was 4,528,777,306.
What is the median age in the World?
The World's median age is 22.6 years.
What share of the World's population is over 65 or under 15?
In the World, 35.2% of people are under 15 and 5.8% are 65 or older.
What shape is the World's population pyramid, and what does it mean?
The World has an expansive pyramid: a wide base of young cohorts reflecting high fertility and continued population growth.

Check our other visualizations

Immigration statistics per countries
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List of countries ordered by their population size
List of countries ordered by their population size
Origin of the migrants stocks per country
Origin of the migrants stocks per country
Population density per country
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Population Projections
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Population Growth Map per Year
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