Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

The Graphic Truth: India set to overtake China

Line chart comparing Chinese to Indian population growth over time
Luisa Vieira
Make us preferred on Google

In the next few months, India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country. With 70% of its people under the age of 64, India is in a prime position to expand its workforce and economic output — and solidify its place as a global economic juggernaut. By contrast, China’s population shrank last year for the first time since the 1960s. The growing elderly demographic is causing massive concerns about Beijing’s growth prospects, forcing the Chinese Communist Party to scrap its one-child policy in recent years. We compare the two countries' population sizes since 1960 and forecasts for the next few decades.

More For You

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
China rebuffs US economic threats over Iran Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump threatened “tremendous economic consequences” for countries that do business with Iran as Washington tries to squeeze Tehran economically. China, Iran’s biggest trading partner, quickly rejected the warning. On Thursday, Beijing said that US pressure would not [...]
The world’s oldest president returns to his post
He’s back! The 93-year-old finally returned from his “brief private stay in Europe,” during which rumors abounded about his health and ability to govern. Biya, the world’s oldest president, has led the Central African country since 1982 and has previously disappeared from public view for extended periods. Many worry about what would happen if Biya [...]
Zhuque-3 rocket by China’s private rocket firm LandSpace, takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Zhuque-3 rocket by China’s private rocket firm LandSpace, takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, December 3, 2025

LandSpace/Handout via REUTERS
China wants to reduce, reuse, and recycle — rocketsChinese aerospace company LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time on Wednesday, marking a major step toward reusable rockets. Reusability is crucial in the growing space race because it can dramatically reduce the cost of putting satellites into [...]
A man votes at a polling station in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary in Columbia.

A man votes at a polling station in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020.

REUTERS/Eric Thayer
If Democrats want to take control of the Senate in November, winning Michigan is a must. Progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who pulled off a razor-thin victory in last month’s primary, will face Republican Mike Rogers, and the race is widely considered a toss-up. A big risk for El-Sayed: a crucial bloc within the state’s Democratic electorate — [...]