China vs India: Total population
China
1.42 million thousands
in 2025
India
1.46 million thousands
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Total population over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 1.46 million thousands against 1.42 million thousands in China, a difference of 39,710 thousands.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 230 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and India in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 894,766 thousands | 598,996 thousands | 295,770 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 million thousands | 756,115 thousands | 290,500 thousands | China |
| 1990s | 1.21 million thousands | 941,487 thousands | 264,305 thousands | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 million thousands | 1.13 million thousands | 167,621 thousands | China |
| 2010s | 1.39 million thousands | 1.31 million thousands | 75,810 thousands | China |
| 2020s | 1.42 million thousands | 1.43 million thousands | 2,788 thousands | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, China or India?
- India, at 1.46 million thousands against 1.42 million thousands in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between China and India?
- 39,710 thousands, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for total population?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release