Over the past 23 years, there were constantly more men than women living on the planet. Of the 8.06 billion people living on the Earth in 2023, 4.05 billion were men and 4.01 billion were women. One-quarter of the world's total population in 2024 was below 15 years.

Worldwide, the male population is slightly higher than the female population, although this varies by country. As of 2023, Hong Kong has the highest share of women worldwide with almost 55 percent. Moldova followed behind with 54 percent. Among the countries with the largest share of women in the total population, several were former Soviet-states or were located in Eastern Europe. By contrast, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman had some of the highest proportions of men in their populations.

Population ages 50-54, female (% of female population) in World was reported at 5.738 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population ages 50-54, female (% of female population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The number of young women between the ages of 15 and 49 is expected to increase worldwide between 2013 and 2025. In 2013, the total number of women globally was 1.8 billion and that is expected to increase to almost 2 billion by 2025. The U.S. accounts for a small proportion of the total number of women globally at just 74.7 million in 2013.

Global demographics

Most recent estimates place the total global population at approximately 7.7 billion people. In mid-2018 the continent with the largest proportion of the global population was Asia, followed by Africa. While North America and Oceania were some of the least populated areas of the world. The age distribution of the population varies by region as well. For example, the percentage of the global population between the ages of 15 and 64 years varies between 56 percent and 68 percent.

Women’s health worldwide

Women face different health challenges depending on the region and country. One important global health issue is maternal mortality. The country with the highest maternal mortality rate in 2015 was Sierra Leone. The country with the highest estimated birth rate between 2015 and 2020 is expected to be Niger, which is also among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate. Among developed nations, the United States had the highest maternal mortality rate in 2015.

United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.224 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.143 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.552 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.224 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.843 % in 1997. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 60-64: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 60 to 64 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Worldwide, the male population is slightly higher than the female population. As of 2023, the country with the highest percentage of men was Qatar with only slightly more than one quarter of the total population being women. The United Arab Emirates followed with 36 percent. Different factors can influence the gender distribution in a population, such as life expectancy, the sex ratio at birth, and immigration. For instance, in Qatar the large share of male is due to the high immigration flows of male labor in the country.

Female population of Thailand grew by 0.08% from 51.5 % in 2023 to 51.5 % in 2024. Since the 0.08% climb in 2014, female population climb by 0.92% in 2024. Annual data series are interpolated from 5-year period data. Therefore they may not reflect real events as much as observed data.

Greenland Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 21.354 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.360 % for 2022. Greenland Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 28.112 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.571 % in 1966 and a record low of 21.305 % in 2018. Greenland Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Greenland – Table GL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

In terms of population size, the sex ratio in the United States favors females, although the gender gap is remaining stable. In 2010, there were around 5.17 million more women, with the difference projected to decrease to around 3 million by 2027.

Gender ratios by U.S. state In the United States, the resident population was estimated to be around 331.89 million in 2021. The gender distribution of the nation has remained steady for several years, with women accounting for approximately 51.1 percent of the population since 2013. Females outnumbered males in the majority of states across the country in 2020, and there were eleven states where the gender ratio favored men.

Metro areas by population National differences between male and female populations can also be analyzed by metropolitan areas. In general, a metropolitan area is a region with a main city at its center and adjacent communities that are all connected by social and economic factors. The largest metro areas in the U.S. are New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In 2019, there were more women than men in all three of those areas, but Jackson, Missouri was the metro area with the highest share of female population.

Palau Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 15-64: Ages 20-24 data was reported at 5.512 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.367 % for 2022. Palau Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 15-64: Ages 20-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 7.444 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.475 % in 1984 and a record low of 5.347 % in 2021. Palau Population: as % of Female Population: Female: Aged 15-64: Ages 20-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Palau – Table PW.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 20 to 24 as a percentage of the total female population.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;;

Female population of Gabon climb by 2.05% from 1,197,990.00 persons in 2023 to 1,222,594.00 persons in 2024. Since the 3.22% increase in 2014, female population rocketed by 26.95% in 2024.

Mexico MX: Population: Female: Ages 50-54: % of Female Population data was reported at 4.893 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.799 % for 2016. Mexico MX: Population: Female: Ages 50-54: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 3.058 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.893 % in 2017 and a record low of 2.735 % in 1970. Mexico MX: Population: Female: Ages 50-54: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 50 to 54 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Female population of Cao Bằng went up by 0.44% from 265 thousand persons in 2019 to 266 thousand persons in 2020. Since the 0.18% improve in 2010, female population improved by 3.14% in 2020.

Germany DE: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data was reported at 5.436 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.493 % for 2022. Germany DE: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 6.283 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.280 % in 1992 and a record low of 5.436 % in 2023. Germany DE: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 25 to 29 as a percentage of the total female population.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;;

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

In 2024, the female population in France amounted to more than 35 million. Like most of other European countries, France has a female population larger than its male population.

Female population in France

According to the source, the female population in France is increasing since 2004. That year there were more than 32 million women in France, compared to 34.1 million ten years later. Surprisingly, the total number of male births has always been higher than the total number of female births. However, life expectancy in the country is higher for women and the proportion between men and women in France appear to stabilize over time.

Women live longer than men

Studies have shown that the life expectancy at birth was higher than females than for male. In 2023, a baby boy born in France had a life expectancy of 80 years, while it reached 85.7 years for a baby girl. In Europe, as well, as in France, life expectancy gap between men and women is a consistent trend. Health issues and a riskier lifestyle could explain why women outlive men. In 2018, Madrid was the European area where both men and women had the longest life expectancy. It reached 87.8 years for females and 82.2 for males.

United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.739 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.775 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.094 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.781 % in 2015 and a record low of 4.172 % in 1993. United States US: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 55 to 59 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Latvia LV: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data was reported at 6.067 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.038 % for 2016. Latvia LV: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 6.809 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.295 % in 1963 and a record low of 6.037 % in 2015. Latvia LV: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Latvia – Table LV.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 35 to 39 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Cameroon CM: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 55.623 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 55.324 % for 2022. Cameroon CM: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 53.039 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.935 % in 1960 and a record low of 50.423 % in 1991. Cameroon CM: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Cameroon – Table CM.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

In all age groups until 29 years old, there were more men than women in Russia as of January 1, 2024. After that age, the female population outnumbered the male population in each category. The most represented age group in the country was from 35 to 39 years old, with approximately 6.5 million women and 6.3 million men. Male-to-female ratio in Russia The number of men in Russia was historically lower than the number of women, which was a result of population losses during World War I and World War II. In 1950, in the age category from 25 to 29 years, 68 men were recorded per 100 women in the Soviet Union. In today’s Russia, the female-to-male ratio in the same age group reached 976 women per 1,000 men. Russia has the highest life expectancy gender gap The World Health Organization estimated the average life expectancy of women across the world at over five years longer than men. In Russia, this gap between genders exceeded 10 years. According to the study “Burden of disease in Russia, 1980-2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016,” Russia had the highest gender difference in life expectancy worldwide.