India Population Clock
India has an estimated population of about 1.46 billion, which makes it the 1st most populous of the 115 countries tracked here.
Its population is growing slowly, at 0.89% a year.
The capital is New Delhi.
The counter below is a live estimate interpolated from the World Bank's latest annual figures — not a real-time measurement. It links to its source, base year and method via the ⓘ next to it.
Statistics
Population trend
Population 2016–2025 (World Bank)
Why India's population is changing
India is the world's most populous country, home to about 1.46 billion people in 2025 and still growing — though the pace is easing. Annual growth has slowed to around 0.9% as fertility falls to roughly 2.0 children per woman, essentially the replacement level.
India's population is far younger than China's: about 24% are under 15 and only 7% are 65 or older. That large cohort moving into working age gives India a demographic dividend — a window where the working-age share outweighs dependants — that can last into the 2040s.
Only about a third of Indians live in cities, well below the global average, so rapid urbanisation still lies ahead. Most projections show India continuing to grow for another two to three decades before levelling off somewhere near 1.7 billion.
Population outlook
At the current 0.89% annual growth, India is on course to pass 1.5 billion around 2028, and 1.6 billion around 2036. These compound today's rate and are illustrative projections, not forecasts.
Age structure
A large under-15 share signals continued growth as that generation reaches working and child-bearing age.
In the region
How India (#1, 1.46 billion) compares with its neighbours by population:
See India on the World Atlas for its location and borders.
How India's population is changing
India records about 64,049 births and 26,400 deaths a day. That is a natural increase of roughly 37,649 people per day, or about 13.8 million a year before migration is counted.
Net migration runs at about 495,753 over the reported period, with more people leaving than arriving. That is equivalent to about 4% of its natural change.
If the current rate held indefinitely, India would take roughly 78 years to double in size — a projection of today's rate, not a forecast.
Over the 9 years from 2016 to 2025, the population rose from 1.34 billion to 1.46 billion — a gain of 119.9 million, or 8.9%.
Where people live in India
With about 484 people per square kilometre, India is very densely populated, roughly 7.8× the world average of 62. That ranks 9th of the 115 countries here. Its closest comparisons on density are Israel and South Korea.
India covers about 2,973,190 km² of land, which is what turns a population of 1.46 billion into that density figure.
About 35.7% of people live in urban areas, making India split between town and countryside, below the world average of 57.8%. That works out to roughly 522.4 million town and city dwellers and 941.4 million living rurally.
Age, fertility and life expectancy in India
India has a broadly balanced age structure: about 24.2% are under 15 and 7.4% are 65 or older. Children outnumber over-65s by roughly 3.3 to one.
The total fertility rate is about 1.96 births per woman, below the ~2.1 replacement level, so without net immigration the population would eventually decline. The world figure is about 2.19.
Life expectancy at birth is about 72.2 years, roughly 1.2 years below the global average of 73.5.
India at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.46 billion | 2025 |
| World rank by population | #1 | 2025 |
| Annual growth rate | 0.89% | 2025 |
| Population density | 484 /km² | 2023 |
| Land area | 2,973,190 km² | 2023 |
| Urban population | 35.7% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 72.2 years | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.96 births per woman | 2024 |
| Population under 15 | 24.2% | 2025 |
| Population 65 and over | 7.4% | 2025 |
| Net migration | -495,753 | 2025 |
| Births per day | 64,049 | 2025 |
| Deaths per day | 26,400 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of India?
Is India's population growing or shrinking?
How densely populated is India?
Where do these India figures come from?
Current local time in India
Methodology & sources
Data: World Bank (CC BY 4.0), base year 2025. The live counter animates the latest annual growth rate per second; it is an estimate, not a real-time measurement. No figures are invented — every number traces back to the World Bank indicators listed above.
Source: World Bank