demographics of India
Aspect of human geography in India
Key facts
- Population
- 1,411,316,000 (2023)
- Density
- 483.68 people/km (2023 est.)
- Growth rate
- 0.89% (2023 est.)
- Birth rate
- 16.15 births/1,000 people (2023 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.1 deaths/1,000 people (2023 est.)
- Life expectancy
- 72.03 years (2023 est.)
- Male
- 70.52 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 73.60 years (2023 est.)
- Fertility rate
- 1.90 children born per woman (2025)
- Infant mortality rate
- 22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023)
- Net migration rate
- -0.68 (negative net migration)
- 0 14 years
- 25.68% (male 183,695,000/female 166,295,000) (2021 est.)
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Article
India is the most populous country in the world, comprising approximately one-sixth of the world population. According to the United Nations' World Population Dashboard, India's population reached slightly over 1.428 billion in April 2023, surpassing that of China.
India remains a relatively young country, though it is undergoing a gradual demographic transition. As of 2024, the median age is approximately 29.8 years, compared to 40.2 in China. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 68% of the population is between 15 and 64 years old, creating a potential "demographic dividend" where a large working-age population can drive economic growth. However, the number of children is declining; the under-5 population peaked in 2007 and the under-15 cohort peaked in 2011.