China vs India: Population by income level
China
1.41 billion
in 2025
India
1.46 billion
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Population by income level over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 1.46 billion against 1.41 billion in China, a difference of 57.29 million.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and India in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 714.95 million | 484.63 million | 230.32 million | China |
| 1970s | 901.94 million | 605.98 million | 295.96 million | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 billion | 764.93 million | 281.68 million | China |
| 1990s | 1.20 billion | 951.12 million | 245.72 million | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 billion | 1.14 billion | 155.00 million | China |
| 2010s | 1.37 billion | 1.32 billion | 55.96 million | China |
| 2020s | 1.41 billion | 1.43 billion | 22.20 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, China or India?
- India, at 1.46 billion against 1.41 billion in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between China and India?
- 57.29 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for population by income level?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population by income level. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.