Population Pyramid Maker 2026

Q: What is a population pyramid?

A population pyramid is a back-to-back bar chart that shows a country (or any group's) age structure: age groups on the vertical axis, population count or percentage on the horizontal axis, males on the left, females on the right. The shape reveals the demographic stage — wide base = high birth rate; narrow base + wide middle = aging society.

Q: How do I make a population pyramid?

On this page: (1) choose "From a country" and pick any of 195 countries plus a year from 1950–2025; or (2) choose "From your own data" and enter age × sex numbers in the 21-row table (or paste from a spreadsheet). The chart updates live; then click Download PNG or Download SVG.

Q: What are the three types of population pyramids?

Expansive (wide base, narrow top — high birth rate, fast growth, e.g. Niger), Stationary (similar-width bars from base to middle, slow growth, e.g. United States), and Constrictive (narrow base, wide middle — below-replacement fertility, e.g. Japan or Italy). The three types correspond to stages of the demographic transition.

Q: Can I use my own data?

Yes. Switch to "From your own data", then fill in the male and female counts per 5-year age band. You can also paste TSV/CSV from a spreadsheet — columns are age range, male, female; the header row is optional.

Q: What formats can I download?

PNG at 2× retina resolution (good for slides, social, and print) or SVG (infinitely scalable vector, openable in Illustrator/Figma/Inkscape for further editing). Both are generated entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Generate a publication-quality population pyramid for any of 195 countries from 1950 to 2025 using UN data — or paste in your own age/sex breakdown. Customize the title, colors, and units, then download as PNG or SVG. Free, no sign-up, runs entirely in your browser.

Last updated 2026-06-05 · Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024

🛠️ Population Pyramid Maker

Pick a country, or enter your own numbers

Generate a publication-quality population pyramid in seconds. Choose any country and year, or paste in your own age/sex breakdown — then download as PNG or SVG.

Country

Year: 2025

19502025

🎨 Customize

Title

Subtitle

Male color

Female color

GridlinesShow as %

Caption / source

total

347,275,819

under 15

17.1%

65+

18.4%

Sex ratio: 101.0 males per 100 females · Largest cohort: 35-39 (6.9%) · Median band: 35-39

The three pyramid types, with real examples

UN WPP 2024 · percentages of national population

Expansive

🇳🇪 Niger, 2025

Wide base, narrow top. High birth rate, large youth cohort, short life expectancy. Population grows fast.

Stationary

🇺🇸 United States, 2025

Roughly even-width bars from base to middle. Birth rate near replacement, longer life expectancy. Population stable or slowly growing.

Constrictive

🇯🇵 Japan, 2025

Narrow base, wider middle. Birth rate below replacement, large elderly cohort. Population shrinks (without immigration).

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision (population.un.org/wpp) — age-by-sex breakdown for the year shown. Charts are percentage of total national population so the shapes are directly comparable despite the countries' very different sizes.

Anatomy of a population pyramid

Y axis = age groups, youngest at the bottom (so the chart literally grows upward as a cohort ages).
X axis = population (either absolute count or % of total).
Males on the left, females on the right (a near-universal convention).
Asymmetries are stories — a wider female top means women outlive men; a missing cohort is often a war or famine.

How to read a population pyramid

Shape on the pyramid	What it means	Example countries
Wide base, narrow top	High birth rate, short life expectancy. Fast-growing population.	Niger, Chad, DR Congo
Narrow base, wide middle	Low birth rate, large working-age cohort, growing elderly cohort. Population peaking or shrinking.	Japan, Italy, Germany
Even base & middle	Birth rate near replacement, mortality even. Stable population.	United States, France, Australia
Sudden indent in one band	A historical shock — war, famine, pandemic, one-child policy.	Ukraine 90s cohort, China 1960 (famine), Cambodia 1975-79
Bulge in a specific age band	A baby boom — usually a post-war or post-policy fertility spike. Reads as an upward-moving wave over decades.	US Baby Boom (1946-64), Iran post-revolution boom
Wider female top	Women outlive men. Universal in modern populations; gap is usually 3–10 years.	Russia (10+ yr gap), Sub-Saharan Africa (smaller gap)

How to use this tool

Step 1

Pick a mode

Use "From a country" to pyramid any of 195 countries from 1950–2025 (UN data pre-loaded), or "From your own data" to enter age × sex numbers manually.

Step 2

Customize

Edit the title, subtitle, caption, and bar colors. Toggle between absolute counts and percentages. Show or hide gridlines.

Step 3

Download or share

Click Download PNG for a 2× retina raster suitable for slides, or Download SVG for an infinitely scalable vector you can edit in Illustrator/Figma. The share link captures your country & year selection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a population pyramid?

A back-to-back bar chart showing a population's age structure: age groups on the Y axis, count (or %) on the X axis, males on the left, females on the right. The shape reveals demographic stage — wide base = young/growing, narrow base + wide middle = aging.

How do I make a population pyramid here?

Pick "From a country" and choose any of 195 countries + a year, OR pick "From your own data" and type or paste age × sex numbers. The chart updates live. Click Download PNG or SVG to save.

What are the three types of population pyramids?

Expansive (wide base, narrow top — Niger), Stationary (even bars from base to middle — USA), Constrictive (narrow base, wide middle — Japan). They correspond to the stages of the demographic transition.

Can I use my own data?

Yes. Switch to "From your own data". Enter male and female counts per 5-year age band, or paste TSV/CSV from a spreadsheet (columns: age range, male, female). Header row is optional.

Where does the country data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2026 Revision (population.un.org/wpp). The maker ships 9 key years per country (1950, 1960, ..., 2025) for instant switching.

What formats can I download?

PNG at 2× retina resolution (great for slides, social, print) or SVG (scalable vector, editable in Illustrator/Figma/Inkscape). Both are generated entirely in your browser — your data is never uploaded.

Can I share my custom pyramid?

For country mode, the page URL updates with your selections — copy and share it. For custom mode, download the PNG or SVG and share that file; custom numbers are kept in your browser only (not in the URL).

Why are pyramids drawn with youngest at the bottom?

Convention: it lets you literally see a cohort age upward over time as the chart "grows". It also makes the youth bulge — the most policy-relevant signal in fast-growing populations — visually prominent.

Related demographic tools & calculators

Sources & Methodology

Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision — age-by-sex population for 194 countries, 1950 through 2025. The maker ships 9 key years per country (1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, 2025); the year slider snaps to these.
Age bands: 21 standard UN bands — 0-4, 5-9, …, 95-99, 100+.
Rendering: All charts are inline SVG generated in your browser at render time. Downloads are produced client-side: SVG is the rendered chart serialized; PNG is the SVG rasterized to a 2× canvas. No data leaves your device.
Last updated 2026-06-05.