China vs India: Population in largest city
China
30.48 million
in 2025
India
34.67 million
in 2025
China rank
3rd
India rank
2nd
Population in largest city over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 34.67 million against 30.48 million in China, a difference of 4.18 million.
That makes India's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was China ahead.
China ranks 3rd and India ranks 2nd of 153 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.47 million | 6.53 million | 62,240 | India |
| 1970s | 5.75 million | 8.09 million | 2.34 million | India |
| 1980s | 7.02 million | 10.56 million | 3.55 million | India |
| 1990s | 10.91 million | 13.99 million | 3.08 million | India |
| 2000s | 16.84 million | 18.50 million | 1.67 million | India |
| 2010s | 23.22 million | 25.55 million | 2.33 million | India |
| 2020s | 28.82 million | 32.49 million | 3.67 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, China or India?
- India, at 34.67 million against 30.48 million in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between China and India?
- 4.18 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for population in largest city?
- China ranks 3rd and India ranks 2nd of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.