China vs India: population pyramids in 1974
ChinaIndia
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
China and India compared
In 1974, China has a population of 891.9 million and India 590 million; China is about 1.5 times the size of India.
The share aged 65 and over is 3.8% in China and 3.8% in India, almost the same. The median age is 19.6 years in China and 19.3 years in India.
The total fertility rate is 4.17 in China and 5.32 in India, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 60.2 years in China and 50.3 years in India.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to grow by 41.8% and that of India to grow by 184.3% compared with 1974.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $2,702 in India (2025).
Key figures (1974)
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 891.9 million | 590 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 40.1% | 40.9% |
| Aged 15–64 | 56.1% | 55.3% |
| Aged 65+ | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Median age | 19.6 yrs | 19.3 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 6.9 | 6.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 4.17 | 5.32 |
| Life expectancy | 60.2 yrs | 50.3 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.87% | +2.37% |
| Net migration (per year) | -175,239 | +347,869 |
| GDP | $19.5T (2025) | $3.96T (2025) |
| GDP per person | $14K (2025) | $2,702 (2025) |
| Unemployment | 4.6% (2025) | 4.2% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.