China vs India: population pyramids in 1978
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 1978, China has a population of 949.8 million and India 648.4 million; China is about 1.5 times the size of India.
The share aged 65 and over is 4.1% in China and 3.9% in India, almost the same. The median age is 21.0 years in China and 19.6 years in India.
The total fertility rate is 2.72 in China and 4.89 in India, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 63.1 years in China and 52.4 years in India.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to grow by 33.2% and that of India to grow by 158.7% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $2,702 in India (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 949.8 million | 648.4 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 39.3% | 40.2% |
| Aged 15–64 | 56.5% | 55.9% |
| Aged 65+ | 4.1% | 3.9% |
| Median age | 21.0 yrs | 19.6 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 7.3 | 7.0 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.72 | 4.89 |
| Life expectancy | 63.1 yrs | 52.4 yrs |
| Population growth | +1.32% | +2.24% |
| Net migration (per year) | -9,916 | -210,444 |
| 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.