Country comparison

China India

How do China and India compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.

China vs India at a glance

Pick the first country of the comparison.

Pick the country to compare it against.

ChinaIndia — China's GDP per capita is about 5.1× India's.

Side-by-side metric comparison
MetricChinaIndiaA vs B
Population & land
Population1.4B (2025)1.5B (2025)96%
Population growth-0.2% (2025)0.9% (2025)N/A
Urban population share66.3% (2025)35.7% (2025)1.9×
Population aged 65+14.9% (2025)7.4% (2025)2.0×
Fertility rate1.0 (2024)2.0 (2024)52%
Birth rate6.8‰ (2024)16.0‰ (2024)42%
Death rate7.8‰ (2024)6.6‰ (2024)1.2×
Net migration-268.1K (2025)-495.8K (2025)N/A
Surface area9,441,999 km²3,150,247 km²3.0×
Population densityderived149/km² (2025)465/km² (2025)32%
Economy
GDP (total)$19.5T (2025)$4T (2025)4.9×
GDP per capita$13,862 (2025)$2,702 (2025)5.1×
GNI per capita$14,230 (2025)$2,760 (2025)5.2×
GDP growth (annual)5.0% (2025)7.6% (2025)66%
Inflation rate0.1% (2025)2.4% (2025)2%
Unemployment rate4.6% (2025)4.2% (2025)1.1×
Gini index36.0 (2022)25.5 (2022)1.4×
Poverty rate ($2.15/day)0.0% (2022)5.3% (2022)N/A
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP21.1% (2025)22.3% (2025)95%
Imports share of GDP16.9% (2025)24.0% (2025)70%
Agriculture share of GDP6.7% (2025)16.2% (2025)41%
Manufacturing share of GDP24.7% (2025)13.5% (2025)1.8×
International tourist arrivals30.4M (2020)17.9M (2019)1.7×
Tourism receipts$27.8B (2004)$13.4B (2020)2.1×
Health & education
Life expectancy78.0 years (2024)72.2 years (2024)1.1×
Infant mortality4.1‰ (2024)23.3‰ (2024)18%
Under-five mortality5.7‰ (2024)26.6‰ (2024)21%
DPT immunization97.0% (2024)94.0% (2024)1.0×
Hospital beds5.6 per 1,000 (2023)1.6 per 1,000 (2021)3.5×
Health spending share of GDP5.9% (2023)3.3% (2023)1.8×
Secondary school enrollment92.3% (2012)79.6% (2025)1.2×
Education spending share of GDP3.9% (2023)4.1% (2022)95%
Society & living
Human Development Index0.797 (2023)0.685 (2023)1.2×
Internet users91.6% (2025)70.0% (2025)1.3×
Mobile subscriptions131.8 per 100 (2024)79.4 per 100 (2024)1.7×
Fixed broadband47.2 per 100 (2024)3.2 per 100 (2024)15×
Electricity access100.0% (2024)99.9% (2024)1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita9.3 t (2024)2.2 t (2024)4.3×
CO₂ emissions (total)derived13,125 Mt (2024)3,154 Mt (2024)4.2×
Renewable electricity share28.4% (2021)19.1% (2021)1.5×
Renewable energy consumption15.2% (2021)34.9% (2021)44%
Forest area24.0% (2023)24.5% (2023)98%
Agricultural land55.4% (2023)60.1% (2023)92%
Arable land11.5% (2023)51.8% (2023)22%
PM2.5 exposure32.0 µg/m³ (2023)54.1 µg/m³ (2023)59%
Military spending1.7% (2024)2.3% (2024)75%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.

China

Capital
Beijing
Languages
Chinese
Currencies
CNY
Subregion
Eastern Asia

India

Capital
New Delhi
Languages
English, Hindi, Tamil
Currencies
INR
Subregion
Southern Asia

China vs India in five metrics

Horizontal bar chart comparing China and India on area, population, GDP, GDP per capita and life expectancy; the longer bar is the larger value within each metric. China India Surface area 9,441,999 km² 3,150,247 km² Population (2025) 1.4B 1.5B GDP (total) (2025) $19.5T $4T GDP per capita (2025) $13,862 $2,702 Life expectancy (2024) 78.0 years 72.2 years

Full metric comparison

Side-by-side metric comparison
Metric China India A vs B
Population & land
Population 1.4B (2025) 1.5B (2025) 96%
Population growth -0.2% (2025) 0.9% (2025) N/A
Urban population share 66.3% (2025) 35.7% (2025) 1.9×
Population aged 65+ 14.9% (2025) 7.4% (2025) 2.0×
Fertility rate 1.0 (2024) 2.0 (2024) 52%
Birth rate 6.8‰ (2024) 16.0‰ (2024) 42%
Death rate 7.8‰ (2024) 6.6‰ (2024) 1.2×
Net migration -268.1K (2025) -495.8K (2025) N/A
Surface area 9,441,999 km² 3,150,247 km² 3.0×
Population density derived 149/km² (2025) 465/km² (2025) 32%
Economy
GDP (total) $19.5T (2025) $4T (2025) 4.9×
GDP per capita $13,862 (2025) $2,702 (2025) 5.1×
GNI per capita $14,230 (2025) $2,760 (2025) 5.2×
GDP growth (annual) 5.0% (2025) 7.6% (2025) 66%
Inflation rate 0.1% (2025) 2.4% (2025) 2%
Unemployment rate 4.6% (2025) 4.2% (2025) 1.1×
Gini index 36.0 (2022) 25.5 (2022) 1.4×
Poverty rate ($2.15/day) 0.0% (2022) 5.3% (2022) N/A
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP 21.1% (2025) 22.3% (2025) 95%
Imports share of GDP 16.9% (2025) 24.0% (2025) 70%
Agriculture share of GDP 6.7% (2025) 16.2% (2025) 41%
Manufacturing share of GDP 24.7% (2025) 13.5% (2025) 1.8×
International tourist arrivals 30.4M (2020) 17.9M (2019) 1.7×
Tourism receipts $27.8B (2004) $13.4B (2020) 2.1×
Health & education
Life expectancy 78.0 years (2024) 72.2 years (2024) 1.1×
Infant mortality 4.1‰ (2024) 23.3‰ (2024) 18%
Under-five mortality 5.7‰ (2024) 26.6‰ (2024) 21%
DPT immunization 97.0% (2024) 94.0% (2024) 1.0×
Hospital beds 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) 1.6 per 1,000 (2021) 3.5×
Health spending share of GDP 5.9% (2023) 3.3% (2023) 1.8×
Secondary school enrollment 92.3% (2012) 79.6% (2025) 1.2×
Education spending share of GDP 3.9% (2023) 4.1% (2022) 95%
Society & living
Human Development Index 0.797 (2023) 0.685 (2023) 1.2×
Internet users 91.6% (2025) 70.0% (2025) 1.3×
Mobile subscriptions 131.8 per 100 (2024) 79.4 per 100 (2024) 1.7×
Fixed broadband 47.2 per 100 (2024) 3.2 per 100 (2024) 15×
Electricity access 100.0% (2024) 99.9% (2024) 1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita 9.3 t (2024) 2.2 t (2024) 4.3×
CO₂ emissions (total) derived 13,125 Mt (2024) 3,154 Mt (2024) 4.2×
Renewable electricity share 28.4% (2021) 19.1% (2021) 1.5×
Renewable energy consumption 15.2% (2021) 34.9% (2021) 44%
Forest area 24.0% (2023) 24.5% (2023) 98%
Agricultural land 55.4% (2023) 60.1% (2023) 92%
Arable land 11.5% (2023) 51.8% (2023) 22%
PM2.5 exposure 32.0 µg/m³ (2023) 54.1 µg/m³ (2023) 59%
Military spending 1.7% (2024) 2.3% (2024) 75%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.

Reference facts

Metric China India
Capital Beijing New Delhi
Languages Chinese English, Hindi, Tamil
Currencies CNY INR
Subregion Eastern Asia Southern Asia

Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, China or India?

China's surface area is larger: about 3.0× India's (9,441,999 km² vs 3,150,247 km²).

Which has a larger population, China or India?

China's population is smaller: about 96% of India's (1.4B vs 1.5B).

Which economy is larger, China or India?

China's GDP (total) is larger: about 4.9× India's ($19.5T vs $4T).

Open the interactive compare tool with China and India preselected

See China and India's true size on a drag-and-drop map →

Distance between China and India →

China country profile: key metrics vs world median →

India country profile: key metrics vs world median →

Back to the homepage

More comparisons with China and India

Data & method

Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use

Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas are computed with an equal-area spherical formula (Chamberlin–Duquette).

Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).