About this chart race
In 1960 China had 667.1 million people and India 436.0 million. India overtook China in 2021 and reached 1,463.9 million in 2025, while China's population peaked in 2021 at 1,412.4 million and fell to 1,406.6 million. The United States was third in every year. Pakistan, Nigeria and Ethiopia were outside the top ten in 1960 and are in it in 2025, while Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom dropped out.
This animated ranking shows how population changed across 16 series between 1960 and 2025. The bars re-order themselves as the years advance, so overtakes are visible as they happen rather than hidden inside a table. Use the list on the left to choose exactly who competes, drag the slider to jump to any year, or open the table view to read the underlying numbers.
As of 2025, India leads with 1,463.9 millions of people.
Included in this race
India, China, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Source
Data from World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.POP.TOTL). Every figure shown comes from this source — nothing is estimated or generated.
You can browse every chart race, embed this one on your own site, or download it as a video to share.