Demographics
Visualizing India’s Population Growth from 2022-2100
Visualizing India’s Population Growth from 2022-2100
For years, India has been on track to overtake China as the world’s most populated country.
In fact, we’ve covered this phenomenon in past articles, back when India was expected to overtake China’s population by the end of the decade.
However, according to the UN’s latest population prospects, this takeover is projected to happen sooner than previously expected—as early as next year.
This graphic by Pablo Alvarez provides an up-to-date chart of India’s population growth projections compared to other countries. Projection data from Our World in Data ranges from 1800 all the way to until 2100.
Some Historical Context
For over three centuries, China has had the largest population of any country in the world.
In the 1800s, China’s population was about 322 million, which was nearly double India’s at the time. And until the mid-20th century, both countries’ populations stayed relatively stable.
However, in 1949, China’s population started to experience dramatic growth. This occurred after the Chinese Civil War when the People’s Republic of China was first established.
Around the same time, India’s population had also started to increase. Since both countries were experiencing population booms, the status quo remained the same, and China kept its position as the world’s most populated country.
Year | China's Population | India's Population |
---|---|---|
1950 | 543,979,233 | 357,021,106 |
1951 | 553,613,990 | 364,922,356 |
1952 | 564,954,522 | 372,997,192 |
1953 | 577,378,687 | 381,227,710 |
1954 | 589,936,006 | 389,731,408 |
1955 | 603,320,152 | 398,577,988 |
1956 | 616,283,025 | 407,656,598 |
1957 | 630,003,022 | 416,935,404 |
1958 | 643,791,575 | 426,295,767 |
1959 | 652,179,197 | 435,900,351 |
1960 | 654,170,699 | 445,954,573 |
1961 | 655,260,384 | 456,351,883 |
1962 | 664,614,653 | 467,024,195 |
1963 | 683,903,564 | 477,933,620 |
1964 | 704,593,776 | 489,059,307 |
1965 | 723,846,349 | 500,114,347 |
1966 | 742,948,545 | 510,992,615 |
1967 | 761,006,267 | 521,987,066 |
1968 | 780,371,962 | 533,431,917 |
1969 | 801,430,969 | 545,314,679 |
1970 | 822,534,453 | 557,501,303 |
1971 | 843,285,425 | 569,999,181 |
1972 | 862,840,402 | 582,837,969 |
1973 | 881,652,084 | 596,107,487 |
1974 | 899,367,646 | 609,721,954 |
1975 | 915,124,664 | 623,524,225 |
1976 | 929,375,929 | 637,451,444 |
1977 | 942,581,333 | 651,685,632 |
1978 | 955,138,940 | 666,267,761 |
1979 | 968,298,969 | 681,248,379 |
1980 | 982,372,463 | 696,828,379 |
1981 | 997,259,502 | 712,869,300 |
1982 | 1,013,483,168 | 729,169,469 |
1983 | 1,029,226,907 | 745,826,550 |
1984 | 1,044,172,200 | 762,895,161 |
1985 | 1,060,239,983 | 780,242,087 |
1986 | 1,077,770,524 | 797,878,992 |
1987 | 1,096,851,842 | 815,716,128 |
1988 | 1,115,889,802 | 833,729,683 |
1989 | 1,134,414,721 | 852,012,670 |
1990 | 1,153,704,251 | 870,452,162 |
1991 | 1,170,626,176 | 888,941,763 |
1992 | 1,183,813,393 | 907,574,051 |
1993 | 1,195,855,556 | 926,351,289 |
1994 | 1,207,286,682 | 945,261,956 |
1995 | 1,218,144,429 | 964,279,137 |
1996 | 1,228,298,833 | 983,281,216 |
1997 | 1,237,801,449 | 1,002,335,231 |
1998 | 1,246,836,111 | 1,021,434,572 |
1999 | 1,255,433,237 | 1,040,500,049 |
2000 | 1,264,099,069 | 1,059,633,672 |
2001 | 1,272,739,587 | 1,078,970,908 |
2002 | 1,280,926,121 | 1,098,313,030 |
2003 | 1,288,873,365 | 1,117,415,122 |
2004 | 1,296,816,706 | 1,136,264,583 |
2005 | 1,304,887,557 | 1,154,638,717 |
2006 | 1,313,086,568 | 1,172,373,788 |
2007 | 1,321,513,227 | 1,189,691,814 |
2008 | 1,330,167,144 | 1,206,734,803 |
2009 | 1,339,125,592 | 1,223,640,160 |
2010 | 1,348,191,371 | 1,240,613,616 |
2011 | 1,357,095,485 | 1,257,621,190 |
2012 | 1,366,560,818 | 1,274,487,221 |
2013 | 1,376,100,301 | 1,291,132,067 |
2014 | 1,385,189,671 | 1,307,246,508 |
2015 | 1,393,715,448 | 1,322,866,506 |
2016 | 1,401,889,685 | 1,338,636,336 |
2017 | 1,410,275,956 | 1,354,195,684 |
2018 | 1,417,069,462 | 1,369,003,309 |
2019 | 1,421,864,032 | 1,383,112,049 |
2020 | 1,424,929,785 | 1,396,387,128 |
2021 | 1,425,893,463 | 1,407,563,841 |
2022 | 1,425,887,335 | 1,417,173,176 |
2023 | 1,425,671,353 | 1,428,627,666 |
2024 | 1,425,178,781 | 1,441,719,857 |
2025 | 1,424,381,923 | 1,454,606,728 |
2026 | 1,423,255,200 | 1,467,231,220 |
2027 | 1,421,809,061 | 1,479,578,524 |
2028 | 1,420,045,577 | 1,491,671,044 |
2029 | 1,417,974,640 | 1,503,470,599 |
2030 | 1,415,605,903 | 1,514,994,087 |
2031 | 1,412,946,006 | 1,526,208,895 |
2032 | 1,410,012,870 | 1,537,108,031 |
2033 | 1,406,810,382 | 1,547,689,840 |
2034 | 1,403,314,820 | 1,557,919,804 |
2035 | 1,399,547,502 | 1,567,802,259 |
2036 | 1,395,546,725 | 1,577,302,810 |
2037 | 1,391,338,419 | 1,586,438,626 |
2038 | 1,386,952,001 | 1,595,245,784 |
2039 | 1,382,367,126 | 1,603,664,860 |
2040 | 1,377,556,940 | 1,611,676,335 |
2041 | 1,372,522,392 | 1,619,318,358 |
2042 | 1,367,267,098 | 1,626,585,371 |
2043 | 1,361,737,253 | 1,633,430,527 |
2044 | 1,355,912,814 | 1,639,837,776 |
2045 | 1,349,756,905 | 1,645,863,188 |
2046 | 1,343,210,239 | 1,651,513,758 |
2047 | 1,336,262,905 | 1,656,777,044 |
2048 | 1,328,873,608 | 1,661,705,661 |
2049 | 1,321,004,204 | 1,666,284,988 |
2050 | 1,312,636,324 | 1,670,490,601 |
2051 | 1,303,756,602 | 1,674,343,637 |
2052 | 1,294,381,084 | 1,677,872,878 |
2053 | 1,284,539,872 | 1,681,073,177 |
2054 | 1,274,244,757 | 1,683,955,037 |
2055 | 1,263,512,556 | 1,686,563,352 |
2056 | 1,252,371,986 | 1,688,894,376 |
2057 | 1,240,879,994 | 1,690,942,710 |
2058 | 1,229,126,155 | 1,692,704,326 |
2059 | 1,217,157,937 | 1,694,150,262 |
2060 | 1,205,020,648 | 1,695,285,494 |
2061 | 1,192,805,228 | 1,696,121,515 |
2062 | 1,180,553,371 | 1,696,684,918 |
2063 | 1,168,316,255 | 1,696,976,688 |
2064 | 1,156,145,637 | 1,696,961,377 |
2065 | 1,144,050,918 | 1,696,634,190 |
2066 | 1,132,053,398 | 1,695,973,643 |
2067 | 1,120,182,121 | 1,694,997,001 |
2068 | 1,108,424,587 | 1,693,712,645 |
2069 | 1,096,787,133 | 1,692,129,035 |
2070 | 1,085,287,618 | 1,690,230,784 |
2071 | 1,073,902,390 | 1,687,990,288 |
2072 | 1,062,612,889 | 1,685,415,098 |
2073 | 1,051,380,906 | 1,682,564,511 |
2074 | 1,040,194,851 | 1,679,449,249 |
2075 | 1,029,035,603 | 1,676,034,859 |
2076 | 1,017,860,464 | 1,672,328,378 |
2077 | 1,006,663,152 | 1,668,352,088 |
2078 | 995,438,014 | 1,664,100,419 |
2079 | 984,185,395 | 1,659,592,784 |
2080 | 972,906,889 | 1,654,856,929 |
2081 | 961,612,987 | 1,649,862,775 |
2082 | 950,338,410 | 1,644,678,011 |
2083 | 939,100,117 | 1,639,364,769 |
2084 | 927,912,383 | 1,633,888,924 |
2085 | 916,808,804 | 1,628,242,630 |
2086 | 905,821,024 | 1,622,427,549 |
2087 | 894,960,259 | 1,616,451,908 |
2088 | 884,243,889 | 1,610,366,043 |
2089 | 873,694,704 | 1,604,195,815 |
2090 | 863,319,537 | 1,597,908,860 |
2091 | 853,111,768 | 1,591,484,817 |
2092 | 843,067,031 | 1,584,943,122 |
2093 | 833,162,187 | 1,578,296,210 |
2094 | 823,380,981 | 1,571,569,445 |
2095 | 813,718,728 | 1,564,797,337 |
2096 | 804,153,592 | 1,557,945,215 |
2097 | 794,673,485 | 1,551,000,312 |
2098 | 785,270,315 | 1,543,990,233 |
2099 | 775,944,429 | 1,536,933,456 |
2100 | 766,673,268 | 1,529,850,116 |
China’s baby boom lasted two decades. But by the late 1970s, the Chinese government implemented a one-child policy in an attempt to slow things down and control population growth, out of fear that China was becoming overpopulated.
The plan worked—according to China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission spokesman Mao Qunan, the government’s efforts ended up reducing the number of births over the years by roughly 400 million.
China’s Population is Aging Faster Than India’s
These days, China has one of the most rapidly aging populations in the world. By 2040, it’s expected that 28% of the country’s population will be over the age of 60.
In contrast, India’s population is relatively young—half of its population is under 30, and only an eighth is over 60.
Does this mean that India’s GDP will eventually outpace China’s? Not necessarily.
As quoted in an article published in Business Standard, Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist of the Bank of Baroda says that India needs to increase its labor participation, as well as general access to education, in order to reap the benefits of its increasing working-age population.
As of 2022, India’s workforce participation rate sits at 46%, compared to China’s 68%. How will this change in the future?

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Misc
Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023
We rank the world’s leading cities with the most skyscrapers, highlighting China’s remarkable dominance in building vertically.

Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023
When it comes to soaring skylines and architectural marvels, no country has embraced the vertical revolution quite like China.
In this graphic, which uses data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), we reveal the 25 cities with the most skyscrapers and supertall buildings globally.
Unsurprisingly, China’s cities dominate the list, solidifying the country’s reputation as a global powerhouse of tall buildings.
The 25 Top Cities by Skyscraper Count
Topping the charts is Hong Kong, with an impressive 657 skyscrapers, including six supertalls (buildings over 300 meters tall).
Rank | City | Country | Skyscrapers (>150m) | Supertalls (>300m) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | 657 | 6 |
2 | Shenzhen | 🇨🇳 China | 513 | 16 |
3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | 421 | 16 |
4 | Dubai | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 395 | 28 |
5 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | 254 | 11 |
6 | Shanghai | 🇨🇳 China | 250 | 5 |
7 | Kuala Lumpur | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 211 | 5 |
8 | Chongqing | 🇨🇳 China | 205 | 5 |
9 | Tokyo | 🇯🇵 Japan | 200 | 0 |
10 | Wuhan | 🇨🇳 China | 183 | 5 |
11 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | 178 | 7 |
12 | Jakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 160 | 1 |
13 | Chengdu | 🇨🇳 China | 150 | 0 |
14 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 133 | 3 |
15 | Shenyang | 🇨🇳 China | 129 | 3 |
16 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 128 | 0 |
17 | Nanning | 🇨🇳 China | 122 | 6 |
18 | Mumbai | 🇮🇳 India | 114 | 0 |
19 | Tianjin | 🇨🇳 China | 109 | 3 |
20 | Nanjing | 🇨🇳 China | 108 | 7 |
21 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | 106 | 0 |
22 | Busan | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 106 | 4 |
23 | Seoul | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 104 | 2 |
24 | Changsha | 🇨🇳 China | 97 | 5 |
25 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia | 94 | 1 |
Hong Kong, along with Shenzhen (#2), and Guangzhou (#5) are part of the burgeoning megacity known as the Pearl River Delta, which is home to over 1,500 skyscrapers. This is even more impressive when considering that Shenzhen was a small fishing village until the 1970s.
New York City secures the third position on the list, boasting an impressive tally of 421 skyscrapers. Although it may have relinquished its title to Chinese cities, the city’s skyline endures as a globally renowned symbol, prominently featuring the iconic Empire State Building. Notably, while the Empire State Building enjoys widespread familiarity, it no longer ranks among the world’s 50 tallest structures.
Rounding out the top five is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which grabs the fourth position with 395 skyscrapers, a staggering 28 of which are supertalls. This desert oasis has become synonymous with grandiose architecture and record-breaking structures, exemplified by the Burj Khalifa, which is the world’s current tallest building at 828 meters (2,715 ft).
China’s Numbers in Context
Looking at this data from another perspective, China actually has more skyscrapers on this list than the rest of the world combined.
Country | Cities in Top 25 | Skyscrapers | Supertalls |
---|---|---|---|
🇨🇳 China | 12 | 2777 | 72 |
🌐 Rest of World | 13 | 2350 | 67 |
China’s rapid urbanization, economic growth, and ambitious construction projects have fueled this impressive feat. There’s no doubt that the country’s relentless pursuit of vertical development, coupled with its booming population and thriving cities, has positioned China as the unrivaled leader in the global skyscraper race.
The Future of the Global Skyline
As the world continues to reach new heights in architectural marvels, there are even more supertall skyscrapers in the pipeline that will reshape skylines across the globe.
From the soaring Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, poised to surpass the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building, to the remarkable Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, which is set to claim the title of the world’s second-tallest structure when it opens in June 2023, these projects will captivate city dwellers for years to come.
Even as these new monumental buildings rise, China’s prominence in the world of skyscrapers—with three cities in the top five globally—is likely to remain unchallenged.
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