Question

Take another look at the population pyramid for France in 1950. noticed the disparity between the male and female populations in 55 to 70 year old age group. what historical event could accout for this disipity?

Answer 1

The war of 1914-1918 (WWI) resulted, in France by a loss of approximately 2,850,000 inhabitants including 1,350,000 deaths of soldiers.

Those soldiers in 1914 were over 20 years old and would have been over 55 in 1950; this explains the disparity between the male and female population in 55 to 70 years old age in France in 1950.

Answer 2

The Second World War was the event that shook the world in those years. France was a country involved in the conflict and the forces of the axis caused many deaths between 1939 and 1945. Many of those deaths were men, regardless of age. For this reason, there is clearly a general decline of men in the pyramid population of France in the 50s.