India is in first place in the world in terms of its population. Current estimates put it at 1.44 billion people. China is second, with 1.425 billion inhabitants, according to a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

UNFPA links the growth of India's population with the improvement of the socioeconomic situation and the drop in the maternal mortality rate in the country.

According to the last census conducted in 2011, the population of India was 1.21 billion.

China's population had peaked at 1.426 billion in 2022, according to UN estimates, but has started to decline.

India's population equaled that of mainland China in late April 2023 and is expected to surpass it by July 1, 2024.

Experts have predicted that China's population could drop below 1 billion by the end of this century.

India's population, however, is expected to continue to grow over the next few decades.