Key figures from the pyramids
- China had 31 million boys and 27 million girls aged 0 to 4 in 2023, about 58 million children in total.
- India had 60 million boys and 55 million girls in the same age group, about 115 million, roughly twice China’s number.
- China’s pyramid is widest at ages 50 to 54, while India’s is widest at 15 to 24.
- A shaded band marks ages 15 to 64 on both charts, the usual working-age range.
All figures are from the graphic, which cites the UN’s World Population Prospects 2024.
The population pyramids in text
Each pyramid has 21 five-year age bands, from 0-4 at the bottom to 100 at the top. Males are shown to the left of the centre line and females to the right. The only numbers printed are the 0-4 values; the chart has no axis scale, so the other bands can be compared by eye but not read as figures.
| China | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 0-4, male | 31 million | 60 million |
| Ages 0-4, female | 27 million | 55 million |
| Ages 0-4, total (our arithmetic) | 58 million | 115 million |
| Widest bands | 50-54 and 55-59, with a second bulge at 30-39 | 15-19 and 20-24 |
| Youngest bands | Narrow steadily from 25-29 down, with 0-4 the narrowest under 60 | Slightly narrower than 15-24 but still broad |
| Over 70 | Substantial bars up to 80-84 | Thin bars |
Title: “China’s Alarming Decline In Newborn Numbers”. Subtitle: “China vs. India: 2023 Population Pyramids”. Credit: “Created by genuine impact”. Source line: “United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision”. Footer: “More charts: genuineimpact.substack.com”.
China and India compared in 2023
| 2023 | China | India |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,422,584,932 | 1,438,069,596 |
| Median age | 40.1 years | 29.1 years |
| Under 15 | 16.6% | 25.1% |
| 65 or older | 14.3% | 6.9% |
Figures from PopulationPyramid.net’s 2023 pages for China [4] and India [5]. They show the same contrast as the graphic: China’s population is older, with fewer children and more people over 65.
Why the two pyramids differ
John Wilmoth, Director of the UN Population Division, said in April 2023 that fertility is the main driver. Both countries had nearly identical fertility in 1971, just under six births per woman. By the end of the 1970s China’s rate had halved to three, while India took more than three decades to reach that level [3]. By 2022 China had one of the world’s lowest fertility rates, 1.2 births per woman, according to the UN’s World Population Prospects 2022 [3].
The UN said China’s population peaked in 2022 and has begun to decline, and that it could fall below one billion before the end of the century [3]. India was expected to reach 1,425,775,850 people by the end of April 2023, overtaking China as the world’s most populous country [3].
Genuine Impact published the chart in a December 2024 newsletter on ageing populations, describing China’s 58 million children under five against India’s 115 million [1]. The figures come from the UN’s 2024 revision of World Population Prospects, its twenty-eighth edition of official population estimates and projections [2].
Notes on this infographic
- Two versions: the newsletter shows a version titled “China vs. India: 2023 Population Pyramids” with the labels “Perfect Population Pyramid” and “Working-Age Population” [1]. The copy here has a different title, “China’s Alarming Decline In Newborn Numbers”, and no labels on the shaded band. The data are the same.
- Framing: “Alarming” is the creator’s word. The data show a smaller youngest age group in China, not a judgement.
- Data date: 2023 estimates from the UN’s 2024 revision. PopulationPyramid.net’s totals above may differ slightly from other UN publications.
Questions about China and India’s populations
Who has more people, China or India?
India. The UN said India would overtake China as the most populous country in April 2023 [3], and PopulationPyramid.net puts India at 1,438 million and China at 1,423 million in 2023 [4] [5].
How many children under five are there in China?
China had about 58 million children aged 0 to 4 in 2023, 31 million boys and 27 million girls, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024 figures on the graphic. India had about 115 million in the same age group, 60 million boys and 55 million girls, roughly twice China's number. Genuine Impact published the chart in a December 2024 newsletter on ageing populations [1].
What is the median age in China and India?
China's median age was 40.1 years in 2023 and India's was 29.1 years, according to PopulationPyramid.net [4] [5]. In China, 16.6% of people were under 15 and 14.3% were 65 or older, against 25.1% and 6.9% in India [4] [5]. The figures show the same contrast as the pyramids: China's population is older, with fewer children and more people over 65.
Why is China's population older than India's?
Fertility is the main driver, John Wilmoth, Director of the UN Population Division, said in April 2023 [3]. Both countries had nearly identical fertility in 1971, just under six births per woman, but by the end of the 1970s China's rate had halved to three, while India took more than three decades to reach that level [3]. By 2022 China had one of the world's lowest fertility rates, 1.2 births per woman [3].
Sources
- Genuine Impact. Aging Countries on a Tightrope, 18 December 2024
- United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024
- UN News. India poised to become world’s most populous nation, 24 April 2023
- PopulationPyramid.net. China population pyramid 2023
- PopulationPyramid.net. India population pyramid 2023
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
