China vs Iran: Population Comparison 2026
China
IranChina has 1,319,745,591 more people than Iran (15.2× as many): 1.41 billion vs 93.2 million in 2026. Median age is 40.6 in China and 34.5 in Iran; fertility is 1.03 vs 1.66 children per woman.
China
20260
people
- Median age
- 40.6
- Fertility (TFR)
- 1.03
- Working age (15–64)
- 70.1%
- Trend
- Declining (-0.22%)
Iran
20260
people
- Median age
- 34.5
- Fertility (TFR)
- 1.66
- Working age (15–64)
- 69.5%
- Trend
- Growing (+0.81%)
Population pyramids, 2026
Total Population
China
1412.9M
vs
Iran
93.2M
Youth (0-14)
China
14.8%
vs
Iran
21.6%
Elderly (65+)
China
15.1%
vs
Iran
8.9%
Where the two pyramids differ
The pyramids are overlaid so you can read the difference by age and sex: the longer bar in each band marks the country with more people of that age.
📊 Understanding the Population Difference Chart
This visualization shows where and by how much the populations differ between China and Iran for each age group, split by gender:
Left Side (Males)
Blue = China has more males
Green = Iran has more males
Right Side (Females)
Pink = China has more females
Orange = Iran has more females
💡 How to Read: Each age group shows up to 2 bars - one on the left (male difference) and one on the right (female difference). The bar's color tells you which country has more people, and the bar's length shows by how much. For example, if you see a green bar on the left, it means Iran has more males in that age group.
Notable Differences (>20% variance):
Ages 0-4: China has 678.1% more people
Men: 20.7M more in China • Women: 18.6M more in China
China: 23.6M men, 21.4M women • Iran: 3.0M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
45.1M
5.8M
Ages 5-9: China has 975.0% more people
Men: 35.6M more in China • Women: 31.2M more in China
China: 39.1M men, 34.6M women • Iran: 3.5M men, 3.3M women
Population Ratio
73.6M
6.8M
Ages 10-14: China has 1113.5% more people
Men: 44.7M more in China • Women: 38.4M more in China
China: 48.5M men, 42.0M women • Iran: 3.8M men, 3.6M women
Population Ratio
90.5M
7.5M
Ages 15-19: China has 1197.2% more people
Men: 42.9M more in China • Women: 36.4M more in China
China: 46.3M men, 39.6M women • Iran: 3.4M men, 3.2M women
Population Ratio
85.9M
6.6M
Ages 20-24: China has 1221.1% more people
Men: 39.4M more in China • Women: 33.2M more in China
China: 42.4M men, 36.1M women • Iran: 3.0M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
78.6M
5.9M
Ages 25-29: China has 1271.0% more people
Men: 40.7M more in China • Women: 34.9M more in China
China: 43.8M men, 37.8M women • Iran: 3.0M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
81.5M
5.9M
Ages 30-34: China has 1203.9% more people
Men: 45.6M more in China • Women: 40.0M more in China
China: 49.2M men, 43.5M women • Iran: 3.6M men, 3.5M women
Population Ratio
92.7M
7.1M
Ages 35-39: China has 1281.0% more people
Men: 59.2M more in China • Women: 54.0M more in China
China: 63.7M men, 58.3M women • Iran: 4.5M men, 4.3M women
Population Ratio
122.0M
8.8M
Ages 40-44: China has 1081.6% more people
Men: 49.8M more in China • Women: 46.8M more in China
China: 54.3M men, 51.2M women • Iran: 4.5M men, 4.4M women
Population Ratio
105.5M
8.9M
Ages 45-49: China has 1198.7% more people
Men: 43.5M more in China • Women: 41.8M more in China
China: 47.2M men, 45.3M women • Iran: 3.6M men, 3.5M women
Population Ratio
92.5M
7.1M
Ages 50-54: China has 1844.3% more people
Men: 52.3M more in China • Women: 51.3M more in China
China: 55.1M men, 54.1M women • Iran: 2.9M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
109.2M
5.6M
Ages 55-59: China has 2373.9% more people
Men: 56.6M more in China • Women: 57.0M more in China
China: 59.0M men, 59.4M women • Iran: 2.4M men, 2.4M women
Population Ratio
118.4M
4.8M
Ages 60-64: China has 2607.2% more people
Men: 49.0M more in China • Women: 50.9M more in China
China: 50.9M men, 52.8M women • Iran: 1.9M men, 1.9M women
Population Ratio
103.7M
3.8M
Ages 65-69: China has 1992.6% more people
Men: 29.8M more in China • Women: 32.8M more in China
China: 31.4M men, 34.4M women • Iran: 1.6M men, 1.6M women
Population Ratio
65.8M
3.1M
Ages 70-74: China has 2703.0% more people
Men: 29.5M more in China • Women: 35.2M more in China
China: 30.7M men, 36.4M women • Iran: 1.2M men, 1.2M women
Population Ratio
67.1M
2.4M
Ages 75-79: China has 2573.2% more people
Men: 17.9M more in China • Women: 22.9M more in China
China: 18.7M men, 23.7M women • Iran: 777K men, 809K women
Population Ratio
42.4M
1.6M
Ages 80-84: China has 2755.4% more people
Men: 9.0M more in China • Women: 12.6M more in China
China: 9.3M men, 13.0M women • Iran: 357K men, 425K women
Population Ratio
22.3M
782K
Ages 85-89: China has 3340.2% more people
Men: 4.1M more in China • Women: 6.9M more in China
China: 4.2M men, 7.1M women • Iran: 134K men, 195K women
Population Ratio
11.3M
329K
Ages 90-94: China has 4675.9% more people
Men: 1.2M more in China • Women: 2.8M more in China
China: 1.2M men, 2.9M women • Iran: 28K men, 57K women
Population Ratio
4.1M
86K
Ages 95-99: China has 6033.9% more people
Men: 135K more in China • Women: 538K more in China
China: 138K men, 546K women • Iran: 3K men, 8K women
Population Ratio
685K
11K
Ages 100+: China has 8429.8% more people
Men: 4K more in China • Women: 48K more in China
China: 4K men, 48K women • Iran: 118 men, 500 women
Population Ratio
53K
618
Demographic comparison, 2026
| Indicator | China | Iran | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2026) | 1,412,914,088 | 93,168,497 | China has 1.32 billion more (15.2×) |
| Change 2025–2026 | -0.2% (Declining) | +0.8% (Growing) | |
| Median age (2026) | 40.6 | 34.5 | China older by 6.1 yrs |
| Total fertility rate | 1.03 — 1.07 below replacement | 1.66 — 0.44 below replacement | |
| Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection) | 1.06 | 1.63 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000) | 6.1 | 11.8 | |
| Population 2050 (UN projection) | 1.26 billion (-10.8%) | 101.9 million (+9.3%) | |
| Peak population | Peaks 2021 | Peaks 2053 |
Differences by age group, 2026
| Age | China (M / F) | Iran (M / F) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 23622K / 21432K | 2967K / 2823K | China has 678.1% more people aged 0-4 |
| 5-9 | 39076K / 34560K | 3516K / 3334K | China has 975.0% more people aged 5-9 |
| 10-14 | 48504K / 41971K | 3839K / 3616K | China has 1113.5% more people aged 10-14 |
| 15-19 | 46340K / 39578K | 3401K / 3222K | China has 1197.2% more people aged 15-19 |
| 20-24 | 42415K / 36142K | 3041K / 2905K | China has 1221.1% more people aged 20-24 |
| 25-29 | 43779K / 37771K | 3030K / 2918K | China has 1271.0% more people aged 25-29 |
| 30-34 | 49168K / 43509K | 3615K / 3492K | China has 1203.9% more people aged 30-34 |
| 35-39 | 63689K / 58292K | 4492K / 4341K | China has 1281.0% more people aged 35-39 |
| 40-44 | 54302K / 51171K | 4536K / 4390K | China has 1081.6% more people aged 40-44 |
| 45-49 | 47164K / 45301K | 3630K / 3490K | China has 1198.7% more people aged 45-49 |
| 50-54 | 55143K / 54078K | 2872K / 2746K | China has 1844.3% more people aged 50-54 |
| 55-59 | 59034K / 59415K | 2419K / 2369K | China has 2373.9% more people aged 55-59 |
| 60-64 | 50868K / 52813K | 1908K / 1922K | China has 2607.2% more people aged 60-64 |
| 65-69 | 31394K / 34434K | 1557K / 1589K | China has 1992.6% more people aged 65-69 |
| 70-74 | 30704K / 36375K | 1187K / 1206K | China has 2703.0% more people aged 70-74 |
| 75-79 | 18688K / 23697K | 777K / 809K | China has 2573.2% more people aged 75-79 |
| 80-84 | 9335K / 13004K | 357K / 425K | China has 2755.4% more people aged 80-84 |
| 85-89 | 4220K / 7092K | 134K / 195K | China has 3340.2% more people aged 85-89 |
| 90-94 | 1221K / 2877K | 28K / 57K | China has 4675.9% more people aged 90-94 |
| 95-99 | 138K / 546K | 3K / 8K | China has 6033.9% more people aged 95-99 |
| 100+ | 4K / 48K | 0K / 1K | China has 8429.8% more people aged 100+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more people, China or Iran?
China has more: 1.41 billion vs 93.2 million in 2026 — 15.2× as many, 1.32 billion more people.
Which country is older?
China, with a median age of 40.6 vs 34.5 in Iran (2026).
Which has higher fertility?
Iran, at 1.66 children per woman vs 1.03 in China. Replacement is 2.1, so both are below it.
How will China and Iran compare in 2050?
By 2050 the UN projects China at 1.26 billion (-10.8% from 2026) and Iran at 101.9 million (+9.3%).
Are China and Iran growing or shrinking?
China is declining (-0.2% in 2026); Iran is growing (+0.8%).
