Population and Demographics of India
Population changed +0.89% in 2024 · median age 28 years
Older adults account for 7.15% of the population in India, with children under 15 representing 24.62% of the total. Over the 24 years from 2000 to 2024, India moved +37.1% in population size. That context matters for the outlook: the 2050 medium projection is 1.68 billion, 15.8% higher than in 2024.
Population Over Time in India
Over the 24 years from 2000 to 2024, India added roughly 393.01 million people, leaving the 2024 total at 1450.936M. The central 2050 projection is 1679.589M, implying a +15.8% change from 2024 if that path is realized. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
India's demographic structure is mixed when the 2024 population is divided into the three broad age groups. At 24.62%, the under-15 group is larger than the 7.15% aged 65+, while ages 15 to 64 account for 68.23%. The age balance is weighted toward younger residents.
Population by broad age group
The 2024 World Bank sex-share indicator gives India a female share of 48.4% and a male share of 51.6%. Males exceed females by 3.2 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Males made up 51.6% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 48.4% females.
What Is Shaping Population Change
Annual change of +0.89% is one part of India's 2024 profile; fertility of 2.0 is another, with the youngest broad age group at 24.62% and the oldest at 7.15%.
India is 37.1% larger than its 2000 population in the 2024 reference year, with the projection period then moving +15.8% from 2024 to 2050; the aggregate numbers are not used to manufacture a causal explanation.
2024 estimate for India. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
India vs. World
Using one 2024 comparison table keeps the context consistent. India's population change is close to the global rate, fertility is below the global level, and its population is younger than the world median-age profile.
| Indicator | India | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | +0.89% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 2 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 28 | 30.6 | 2024 |
This comparison avoids mixed-year arithmetic by keeping India and the world on the same 2024 harmonized demographic table.
Key Takeaways
At 1450.936M, the 2024 population is paired with an annual change rate of +0.89%.
Age structure is a key feature of the profile: 24.62% are under 15 and 7.15% are 65 or older.
The 2024 female and male shares are 48.4% and 51.6% respectively.
The 2050 medium projection is 1679.589M, 15.8% above the 2024 estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of India?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for India is 1,450,935,791 people.
Is the population of India growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, India's population is growing, with annual change of +0.89%.
What percentage of the population of India is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 7.15% of India's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of India in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts India's 2050 population at 1,679,589,259.
What is the fertility rate in India?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for India is 2 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.