China vs India: Population
Population over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 1.23 million against 1.18 million in India, a difference of 44,730.
Across all 41 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 188 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 880,832 | 595,977 | 284,855 | China |
| 2000s | 1.03 million | 758,653 | 272,296 | China |
| 2010s | 1.14 million | 935,196 | 200,371 | China |
| 2020s | 1.20 million | 1.10 million | 94,106 | China |
| 2030s | 1.23 million | 1.18 million | 44,730 | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, China or India?
- China, at 1.23 million against 1.18 million in India as of 2030.
- What is the difference in population between China and India?
- 44,730, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 41 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2030.
- How do China and India rank globally for population?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Population (UN estimates and projections). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. The total population comprises persons of all ages who were living in the country during the reference period, regardless of residency status or citizenship. The source for the population figures used is the United Nations' World Population Prospects. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.