China vs India: population pyramids in 2042
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 2042, China has a population of 1.33 billion and India 1.63 billion; India is about 1.2 times the size of China.
The share aged 65 and over is 27.3% in China and 11.6% in India, 15.6 points higher in China. The median age is 50.3 years in China and 36.2 years in India.
The total fertility rate is 1.14 in China and 1.79 in India, both below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in China and 76.1 years in India.
By 2050, the population of China is projected to shrink by 5.0% and that of India to grow by 2.7% compared with 2042.
GDP per person is $14K in China (2025) and $2,702 in India (2025).
Figures from 2024 are UN medium-variant projections.
Key figures (2042)
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.33 billion | 1.63 billion |
| Aged 0–14 | 9.5% | 19.6% |
| Aged 15–64 | 63.3% | 68.8% |
| Aged 65+ | 27.3% | 11.6% |
| Median age | 50.3 yrs | 36.2 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 43.1 | 16.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.14 | 1.79 |
| Life expectancy | 82.1 yrs | 76.1 yrs |
| Population growth | -0.54% | +0.42% |
| Net migration (per year) | -208,443 | -377,652 |
| 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.