China vs India: Comparison of world population projections

China
1.42 billion
in 2023
India
1.44 billion
in 2023
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st

Comparison of world population projections over time

  • China
  • India
250.0M500.0M750.0M1.0B1.2B1.5B195019862023

How they compare

India currently reports 1.44 billion against 1.42 billion in China, a difference of 15.49 million.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was China ahead.

China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 236 countries.

China has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade China India Difference Ahead
1950s 597.80 million 384.33 million 213.47 million China
1960s 717.50 million 484.63 million 232.87 million China
1970s 902.94 million 605.98 million 296.96 million China
1980s 1.05 billion 764.93 million 290.06 million China
1990s 1.21 billion 951.12 million 260.73 million China
2000s 1.31 billion 1.14 billion 162.41 million China
2010s 1.39 billion 1.32 billion 71.66 million China
2020s 1.43 billion 1.42 billion 5.00 million China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher comparison of world population projections, China or India?
India, at 1.44 billion against 1.42 billion in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in comparison of world population projections between China and India?
15.49 million, with India ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do China and India rank globally for comparison of world population projections?
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Comparison of world population projections. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Comparison of world population projections
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed