Number of children under 15, by world region in India

India: Number of children under 15, by world region was 360.34 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
360.34 million people
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
1st
of 236 countries
All-time high
389.74 million people
in 2010
All-time low
131.35 million people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Number of children under 15, by world region in India, 1950–2023

100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

India recorded 360.34 million people for number of children under 15, by world region in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of children under 15, by world region in India peaked at 389.74 million people in 2010 and was at its lowest, 131.35 million people, in 1950.

India ranks 1st of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Number of children under 15, by world region in India, year by year

Annual values for Number of children under 15, by world region in India, 1950 to 2023.
Year people Change
1950 131.35 million people
1951 134.74 million people +2.6%
1952 138.34 million people +2.7%
1953 142.20 million people +2.8%
1954 146.44 million people +3.0%
1955 151.05 million people +3.1%
1956 155.92 million people +3.2%
1957 160.98 million people +3.2%
1958 166.17 million people +3.2%
1959 171.49 million people +3.2%
1960 176.94 million people +3.2%
1961 182.52 million people +3.2%
1962 188.22 million people +3.1%
1963 194.05 million people +3.1%
1964 199.50 million people +2.8%
1965 204.24 million people +2.4%
1966 208.63 million people +2.2%
1967 212.89 million people +2.0%
1968 217.18 million people +2.0%
1969 221.49 million people +2.0%
1970 225.76 million people +1.9%
1971 230.11 million people +1.9%
1972 234.52 million people +1.9%
1973 239.07 million people +1.9%
1974 243.80 million people +2.0%
1975 248.58 million people +2.0%
1976 253.40 million people +1.9%
1977 258.27 million people +1.9%
1978 263.11 million people +1.9%
1979 268.13 million people +1.9%
1980 273.55 million people +2.0%
1981 279.26 million people +2.1%
1982 285.10 million people +2.1%
1983 291.05 million people +2.1%
1984 297.20 million people +2.1%
1985 303.47 million people +2.1%
1986 309.79 million people +2.1%
1987 316.02 million people +2.0%
1988 322.03 million people +1.9%
1989 327.86 million people +1.8%
1990 333.54 million people +1.7%
1991 339.00 million people +1.6%
1992 344.27 million people +1.6%
1993 349.39 million people +1.5%
1994 354.21 million people +1.4%
1995 358.66 million people +1.3%
1996 362.73 million people +1.1%
1997 366.50 million people +1.0%
1998 369.98 million people +0.9%
1999 373.12 million people +0.9%
2000 376.12 million people +0.8%
2001 379.06 million people +0.8%
2002 381.75 million people +0.7%
2003 384.07 million people +0.6%
2004 386.01 million people +0.5%
2005 387.53 million people +0.4%
2006 388.56 million people +0.3%
2007 389.14 million people +0.1%
2008 389.44 million people +0.1%
2009 389.68 million people +0.1%
2010 389.74 million people +0.0%
2011 389.47 million people -0.1%
2012 388.92 million people -0.1%
2013 387.98 million people -0.2%
2014 386.29 million people -0.4%
2015 383.97 million people -0.6%
2016 381.48 million people -0.6%
2017 378.64 million people -0.7%
2018 375.66 million people -0.8%
2019 372.71 million people -0.8%
2020 369.52 million people -0.9%
2021 366.35 million people -0.9%
2022 363.31 million people -0.8%
2023 360.34 million people -0.8%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 360.34 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.69 million people, 97.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • India's 360.34 million people is above the median for South Asia, which is 6.83 million people, 52.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 149.87 million people 131.35 million people 171.49 million people 10
1960s 200.56 million people 176.94 million people 221.49 million people 10
1970s 246.48 million people 225.76 million people 268.13 million people 10
1980s 300.53 million people 273.55 million people 327.86 million people 10
1990s 355.14 million people 333.54 million people 373.12 million people 10
2000s 385.14 million people 376.12 million people 389.68 million people 10
2010s 383.48 million people 372.71 million people 389.74 million people 10
2020s 364.88 million people 360.34 million people 369.52 million people 4

Countries ranked near India

  1. 2 China 236.00 million people compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 94.55 million people compare
  3. 4 Pakistan 91.67 million people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of children under 15, by world region in India?
Number of children under 15, by world region in India was 360.34 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of children under 15, by world region recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 389.74 million people in 2010.
What is the lowest number of children under 15, by world region recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 131.35 million people in 1950.
How does India rank for number of children under 15, by world region?
India ranks 1st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of children under 15, by world region rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children under 15, by world region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of children under 15, by world region in India. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-younger-than-15-with-projections/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of children under 15, by world region
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 0-14.