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Mapped: The Population of India’s States Compared with Countries

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Infographic map showing the population of India's states and territories compared to countries

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The Population of India’s States Compared with Countries

In a world with eight billion people, even the numbers of the largest population centers like China and India can start to lose their impact.

The visualization above looks to give people a different frame of reference to think about the country’s massive population figures.

The Population Breakdown

Similar to other big countries, the gap between India’s largest and smallest states is quite wide.

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous country subdivision in the world at 232 million people, while Sikkim, in the northeast of the country, is the least populated state in India (0.7 million).

Here are India’s 28 states and 8 union territories compared to other countries and territories with comparable sizes:

State Population (2022)CountryPopulation (2022)
Uttar Pradesh232M🇧🇷 Brazil + 🇪🇨 Ecuador234M
Bihar129M🇲🇽 Mexico132M
Maharashtra125M🇯🇵 Japan126M
West Bengal101M🇪🇬 Egypt107M
Madhya Pradesh85M🇹🇷 Turkey87M
Tamil Nadu84M🇩🇪 Germany84M
Rajasthan80M🇺🇦 Ukraine + 🇵🇱 Poland81M
Gujarat70M🇹🇭 Thailand70M
Karnataka70M🇬🇧 UK69M
Andhra Pradesh54M🇲🇲 Myanmar55M
Odisha47M🇪🇸 Spain47M
Jharkhand40M🇮🇶 Iraq42M
Telangana38M🇲🇾 Malaysia + 🇸🇬 Singapore39M
Assam36M🇨🇦 Canada39M
Kerala35M🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia36M
Chhattisgarh32M🇵🇪 Peru34M
Punjab31M🇦🇺 Australia + 🇳🇿 New Zealand31M
Haryana29M🇻🇪 Venezuela28M
Delhi19M🇷🇴 Romania19M
Jammu and Kashmir15M🇿🇼 Zimbabwe15M
Uttarakhand12M🇧🇴 Bolivia12M
Himachal Pradesh7.5M🇭🇰 Hong Kong7.6M
Tripura4.2M🇭🇷 Croatia4.0M
Meghalaya3.8M🇪🇷 Eritrea3.7M
Manipur3.4M🇺🇾 Uruguay3.5M
Nagaland2.1M🇸🇮 Slovenia2.1M
Puducherry1.6M🇧🇭 Bahrain1.8M
Arunachal Pradesh1.7M🇱🇻 Latvia1.8M
Goa1.5M🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea1.5M
Mizoram1.3M🇪🇪 Estonia1.3M
Chandigarh1.2M🇨🇾 Cyprus1.3M
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
& Daman and Diu
0.8M🇬🇾 Guyana0.8M
Sikkim0.7M🇲🇴 Macao0.7M
Andaman & Nicobar Islands0.4M🇧🇸 Bahamas0.4M
Lakshadweep0.07M🇰🇾 Cayman Islands0.07M 

Hypothetically, if India’s states were to all became countries today, they would take up half the spots in a ranking of the world’s top 20 most populous countries.

A number of Indian states match up evenly against some very large countries, including Maharashtra (Japan), West Bengal (Egypt), and Tamil Nadu (Germany). Of course, the largest is Uttar Pradesh (Brazil+Chile), which also happens to measure up to neighboring Pakistan.

For people living in countries such as Canada or Australia, it may be humbling to know that these countries are equal to a smallish Indian state.

The Big Get Bigger

According to United Nations projections, India is on track to become the most populous country in the world in 2023.

The population of India’s growth is fueled by several factors, including declining mortality rates, increased life expectancy, and high birth rates. While India’s population growth has slowed in recent years due to factors such as urbanization and increasing access to contraception, the country’s population is still expected to continue growing at a significant rate for the foreseeable future.

Where does this data come from?

Source: Population projections for India are from indiacensus.net. Population figures for comparison countries are from the UN’s World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision (medium-fertility variant), accessed via Worldometers‘ live tracker. All population figures shown are 2022 projections.

Data note: Because there are only so many countries, the populations of comparison countries may not perfectly match that of the various Indian states and union territories. Numbers are rounded.

Map note: A number of borders and regions in India are disputed with other countries. Our depiction of borders is a good faith, apolitical attempt at reflecting the “de facto” situation in each region.

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Demographics

Comparing Population Pyramids Around the World

Population pyramids can show a country’s demographic advantages and challenges at a glance. See how different parts of the world stack up.

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Visualization of population pyramids of China, India, U.S., and Japan compared

Understanding and Comparing Population Pyramids

Demographic data can reveal all kinds of insights about a population, from the country’s fertility and mortality rates to how certain events and policies have shaped the makeup of a population.

Population pyramids are one of the best ways to visualize population data, and comparing the pyramids of various countries and regions side-by-side can reveal unexpected insights and differences between groups.

This graphic uses population data from the United Nations to compare the demographics of some select nations and regions of the world, showcasing how much age distributions can vary.

Three Types of Population Pyramids

Although population pyramids can come in all shapes and sizes, most generally fall into three distinct categories:

  • Expansive Pyramids: Recognized by their traditional “pyramid-like” shape with a broad base and narrow top, expansive pyramids reflect a population with a high birth rate along with a high mortality rate which is most common in developing countries.
  • Constrictive Pyramids: With a narrow base and thicker middle and top sections of the pyramid, constrictive pyramids often occur in developed economies whose populations have low birth rates and long life expectancies.
  • Stationary Pyramids: These pyramids showcase an evenly distributed population across age groups, often found in newly-developed countries which have stable birth and mortality rates.

Each population pyramid is essentially a visual snapshot of a nation’s current demographic breakdown, shaped by fluctuating birth and mortality rates as well as changes to immigration and social policies.

Understanding the inherent risks associated with different pyramid types can help give insight into the challenges these populations face.

The Risks of Different Population Pyramid Types

Each type of population pyramid structure has unique challenges and advantages often characterized by the country or region’s current stage of economic development.

Populations with expansive pyramids, such as the one representing the continent of Africa, have the advantage of a larger youth and working-aged population, however this advantage can be rendered null if job growth, education, and health care aren’t prioritized.

Countries with constrictive pyramids like Japan face the challenge of supporting their outsized aging population with a diminishing working-aged population. While immigration and increasing birth rates can help in both the short and long term, due to the working population being outnumbered, countries with constrictive pyramids must find ways to increase their productivity to avoid potential declines in economic growth.

China and India’s Demographics Compared

After the world’s population reached eight billion people last year, 2023 brought a new population milestone as India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

When you compare the two nations’ population pyramids, you can see how India’s population has a strong base of young and working-aged people compared to China’s more constrictive population pyramid that also features a higher median age.

This demographic difference is largely shaped by China’s one-child policy which since 2021 was loosened to be a three-child policy. As a result, China’s total fertility rate is around 1.2 today, in contrast to India’s total fertility rate of 2.0.

While India is set to ride the productivity boom of its large working-age population, the country will have to ensure it can keep its population pyramid stable as the majority of the population ages and total fertility rates continue to decline.

 

Promo image of a special dispatch about population demographics. Interested in learning more about the various factors that affect demographics?

VC+ Members get an exclusive look comparing the G7 and BRICS nations, how war shapes population pyramids, and immigration’s role in demographics.

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