What is the most populated country in Asia?
India is the most populated country in Asia and the world, with about 1.46 billion people in 2025. It overtook China (1.42 billion) in 2023.
According to UN estimates, India overtook China as the world's most populous country in 2023. China had held that position for centuries. The gap is now widening: in 2025 India had about 1,463,865,525 people and China about 1,416,096,094, a difference of roughly 48 million.
The two countries are on very different paths. China's population peaked in 2021 and has declined since, the result of decades of low fertility, including the one-child policy era. India's is still growing, although its fertility rate has fallen to around replacement level, and the UN expects it to peak around the 2060s.
The ten most populous countries in Asia
| # | Country | Population (2025) | Share of Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,463,865,525 | 30.3% |
| 2 | China | 1,416,096,094 | 29.3% |
| 3 | Indonesia | 285,721,236 | 5.9% |
| 4 | Pakistan | 255,219,554 | 5.3% |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 175,686,899 | 3.6% |
| 6 | Japan | 123,103,479 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Philippines | 116,786,962 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Vietnam | 101,598,527 | 2.1% |
| 9 | Iran | 92,417,681 | 1.9% |
| 10 | Turkey | 87,685,426 | 1.8% |
Beyond the top two, Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth in the world, after the United States. Pakistan ranks fifth in the world and is one of Asia's fastest-growing large countries.
See all 49 countries in the full population ranking.
Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024 (2025 estimates).
Related questions
When did India overtake China in population?
UN population estimates put the crossover in April 2023. Neither country runs a continuous population count, so the exact month is an estimate.
What is the most populous country in Southeast Asia?
Indonesia, with about 285.7 million people, ahead of the Philippines and Vietnam.