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The race to be the world's most populous country

Race · 24 Oct 2026

Bar chart race of population, World Bank estimates, 1960 to 2025, for 12 countries. India, in gold, starts 2nd behind China and passes it in 2021. In 2025 India has 1.46 billion people, China 1.41 billion and the US 342 million.

India vs China: the race to be the world's most populous country, 1960 to 2025

China led for decades. In World Bank estimates India passed it in 2021 (other estimates say 2023), the year China's population peaked. In 2025 India has 1.46bn people, 57 million more than China.

Source: World Bank estimates, 2025