China vs India
China vs India: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 66.3% in China and 35.7% in India, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 30.7 percentage points, or 1.86 times that in India.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1987, when it overtook India.
- In 2025, China ranked 108 and India ranked 191 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts China at 89.7% and India at 43.1% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | China | India |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66.3 | 35.7 |
| 2024 | 65.9 | 35.4 |
| 2023 | 65.5 | 35.1 |
| 2022 | 65.2 | 34.8 |
| 2021 | 64.7 | 34.4 |
| 2020 | 63.5 | 34.1 |
| 2019 | 62.7 | 33.8 |
| 2018 | 61.5 | 33.5 |
| 2017 | 60.2 | 33.2 |
| 2016 | 58.8 | 32.9 |
| 2015 | 57.3 | 32.6 |
| 2014 | 55.8 | 32.2 |
| 2013 | 54.5 | 31.9 |
| 2012 | 53.1 | 31.6 |
| 2011 | 51.8 | 31.3 |
| 2010 | 49.2 | 30.9 |
| 2009 | 48.3 | 30.5 |
| 2008 | 47 | 30.1 |
| 2007 | 45.9 | 29.8 |
| 2006 | 44.3 | 29.4 |
| 2005 | 43 | 29.1 |
| 2004 | 41.8 | 28.8 |
| 2003 | 40.5 | 28.5 |
| 2002 | 39.1 | 28.2 |
| 2001 | 37.7 | 27.9 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 27.7 |
| 1999 | 34.8 | 27.4 |
| 1998 | 33.4 | 27.2 |
| 1997 | 31.9 | 27 |
| 1996 | 30.5 | 26.8 |
| 1995 | 29 | 26.6 |
| 1994 | 28.5 | 26.4 |
| 1993 | 28 | 26.2 |
| 1992 | 27.5 | 26 |
| 1991 | 26.9 | 25.8 |
| 1990 | 26.2 | 25.6 |
| 1989 | 26.2 | 25.4 |
| 1988 | 25.8 | 25.2 |
| 1987 | 25.3 | 25 |
| 1986 | 24.5 | 24.8 |
| 1985 | 23.7 | 24.7 |
| 1984 | 23 | 24.5 |
| 1983 | 21.6 | 24.3 |
| 1982 | 20.6 | 24 |
| 1981 | 20.2 | 23.8 |
| 1980 | 19.4 | 23.5 |
| 1979 | 19 | 23.2 |
| 1978 | 17.9 | 22.8 |
| 1977 | 17.6 | 22.4 |
| 1976 | 17.4 | 21.9 |
| 1975 | 17.3 | 21.5 |
| 1974 | 17.2 | 21 |
| 1973 | 17.2 | 20.6 |
| 1972 | 17.1 | 20.3 |
| 1971 | 17.3 | 20 |
| 1970 | 17.4 | 19.7 |
| 1969 | 17.5 | 19.5 |
| 1968 | 17.6 | 19.2 |
| 1967 | 17.7 | 19 |
| 1966 | 17.9 | 18.8 |
| 1965 | 18 | 18.6 |
| 1964 | 18.3 | 18.4 |
| 1963 | 16.8 | 18.3 |
| 1962 | 17.3 | 18.1 |
| 1961 | 19.3 | 18 |
| 1960 | 19.8 | 17.9 |
| 1959 | 18.4 | 17.9 |
| 1958 | 16.3 | 17.8 |
| 1957 | 15.4 | 17.7 |
| 1956 | 14.6 | 17.7 |
| 1955 | 13.5 | 17.6 |
| 1954 | 13.7 | 17.6 |
| 1953 | 13 | 17.5 |
| 1952 | 12.5 | 17.4 |
| 1951 | 11.8 | 17.3 |
| 1950 | 11.2 | 17.2 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | China | India |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 66.8 | 36 |
| 2027 | 67.3 | 36.3 |
| 2028 | 67.9 | 36.6 |
| 2029 | 68.5 | 36.9 |
| 2030 | 69.1 | 37.2 |
| 2031 | 69.7 | 37.5 |
| 2032 | 70.4 | 37.8 |
| 2033 | 71.1 | 38.1 |
| 2034 | 71.9 | 38.4 |
| 2035 | 72.7 | 38.7 |
| 2036 | 73.6 | 39 |
| 2037 | 74.4 | 39.3 |
| 2038 | 75.4 | 39.6 |
| 2039 | 76.3 | 39.9 |
| 2040 | 77.3 | 40.2 |
| 2041 | 78.4 | 40.5 |
| 2042 | 79.5 | 40.8 |
| 2043 | 80.6 | 41.1 |
| 2044 | 81.8 | 41.4 |
| 2045 | 83 | 41.7 |
| 2046 | 84.2 | 41.9 |
| 2047 | 85.5 | 42.2 |
| 2048 | 86.9 | 42.5 |
| 2049 | 88.3 | 42.8 |
| 2050 | 89.7 | 43.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs India
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023India: 72 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024India: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023India: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017India: 3.53% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017India: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023India: 1.44 billion people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023India: 0.89% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023India: 1.98 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023India: 28.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023India: 6.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023India: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025India: 2.3% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025India: $93.3B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025India: $63 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025India: 8.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020India: 3.07 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022India: 9.94% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020India: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025India: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025India: 81 million TIV in 2025