What type of bar chart illustrates the distribution of a population by gender and age?

A population pyramid is specifically designed to visually represent the distribution of a population by gender and age. This type of chart displays two back-to-back histograms, one for males and one for females, with age cohorts typically arranged along the vertical axis. By doing this, the population pyramid allows for a clear comparison between genders across different age groups, highlighting demographic trends, such as birth rates, death rates, and aging populations.

While other chart types have their distinct purposes, they do not serve the same function in illustrating demographic distributions. For instance, a histogram is used to show the frequency of data points within certain ranges but does not differentiate between gender. A stacked bar chart may display the total population but lacks the nuanced breakdown by age and gender present in a population pyramid.