China's economy is currently 1.3x larger than India's ($17.9 trillion vs $13.6 trillion nominal GDP), but India is growing faster at 6.8% annually versus China's 4.2%, positioning India to potentially surpass China by 2050. China leads in manufacturing and technology exports, while India dominates in services and IT outsourcing.
India vs China Economy 2026 — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's 5th largest economy growing at 6.8% annually with 1.4 billion population.
World's second-largest economy emphasizing manufacturing dominance, infrastructure investment, and state-directed growth.
Nominal GDP Size (2025). Annual GDP Growth Rate. Manufacturing Output Share. IT & Services Exports Annual Value. Foreign Direct Investment (2024). Per Capita Income. Population Size
China currently dominates with a larger absolute economy and significantly higher per capita income, making it wealthier and more developed in 2026. However, India's faster growth trajectory, younger demographic (median age 27 vs 39), and expanding tech services sector position it as the faster-growing economy with potential long-term advantages. Choose China for current economic scale and manufacturing prowess; choose India for growth potential and emerging market opportunities.
India Economy: $3.9 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: 6.8% | China Economy: 4.2%
India Economy: $2,389 | China Economy: $12,800
India Economy: 2.5% | China Economy: 28%
India Economy: $85.2 billion | China Economy: $189 billion
India Economy: $4.15 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: 6.2% | China Economy: 4.8%
India Economy: $2,813 | China Economy: $12,700
India Economy: 7.7% | China Economy: N/A
India Economy: 3.4% | China Economy: N/A
India Economy: 6.9% | China Economy: N/A
India Economy: $12.0 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: $2,750 | China Economy: $12,720
India Economy: $245 billion | China Economy: $220 billion
India Economy: $85 billion | China Economy: $189 billion
India Economy: 84% | China Economy: 282%
India Economy: 6.2% | China Economy: 5.0%
India Economy: $1,030 | China Economy: $13,500
India Economy: $430 billion | China Economy: $1,540 billion
India Economy: $85.1 billion | China Economy: $189B
India Economy: 15% | China Economy: 28.5%
India Economy: $2.5 trillion | China Economy: $12.3 trillion
India Economy: 3.2% | China Economy: 5.1%
India Economy: 4.8% | China Economy: 0.2%
India Economy: $85 billion | China Economy: $163 billion
India Economy: 5.1% | China Economy: N/A
India Economy: $13.6 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: $430 billion | China Economy: $1,230 billion
India Economy: 28 years | China Economy: 39 years
India Economy: $13.7 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: 4.9% | China Economy: 0.8%
India Economy: $3.7 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: 6.8% | China Economy: N/A
India Economy: 1.42 billion | China Economy: 1,420 million
India Economy: 84% | China Economy: $10.8 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~80%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls, advancing in AI adoption
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.5-5.0%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $296.5 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620.1 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: Restricted to 7nm+ (export controls)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $525
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2.0%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.6-4.8%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: €296.5 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: €467
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 80%+
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~5.2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $13,500
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $5,708.7
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $296.5
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $680 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.2-0.3%
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28.3%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $400-800B
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.7%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $400-800B reduction
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production Share
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0pp
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $18.7 trillion
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (Annual)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163.5 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28% (diversified)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,700
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $45.78 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.0%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 14.3%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~5.5%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: EV manufacturing, 5G, solar, semiconductors
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $16,800 (119,800 yuan)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.0%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $14,874
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11.1 trillion behind
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.1%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~16-17% of global GDP
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.9% CPI
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.1%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 3-4%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: Data not available
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $14,800+
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 36% smaller than US
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $189 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,420 million
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9T
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,500
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.4T
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.3%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.8T (Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan weighted total)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 37.4 years (projected 53 by 2050)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.6 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 282%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $652 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$631 billion (surplus)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142 companies
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.8 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28.4%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 54.8%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $22.8 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12.8 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$632 billion (surplus)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,480 GW
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11,500
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.3 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 14.8%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,542,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.5 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 687,231
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $15.2 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $6.8 trillion
Tech Sector Market Capitalization (Top 7 Companies)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $2.8 trillion
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2010-2023)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.8%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $31.6 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 16% of world GDP
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $696 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.2 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 920 million
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,820,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.2 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.7 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,720
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,200,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $38,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 12.4%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $31.7 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 8.7%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,750,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 38.8 years
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2nd largest exporter (after USA)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.6T
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 8-10%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 30 million
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $8.1 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 38.4 years
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$821 billion surplus
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $24 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3,200 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 20.6%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.1%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.7T
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163B
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $90 billion
Annual GDP Growth Rate (2020-2026 Average)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 14.2%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142,000
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.4%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.59 million
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 15.8%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $369 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.4T
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 29.2%
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (2024)
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.89%
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $36.7 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1.6 trillion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: $139 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.4 billion
India Economy: N/A | China Economy: 12.3%
How to choose between India Economy and China Economy
India vs China Economy 2026 — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for India vs China Economy 2026. Contains 247 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
India vs China Economy 2026 — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for India vs China Economy 2026.
When will India's economy overtake China's?
At current growth rates (India 6.8% vs China 4.2%), India could overtake China in nominal GDP between 2050-2055. However, this depends on sustained growth rates and currency fluctuations. India would need to maintain growth above 5.5% while China remains below 4% for this trajectory to hold.
Why is China's per capita income so much higher than India's?
China's per capita income of $12,556 versus India's $2,389 reflects decades of accumulated wealth, industrialization starting 20 years earlier, and higher productivity levels. China's manufacturing base generates higher value-added products, while India still has 27% of its workforce in agriculture. As India industrializes, this gap will narrow.
China offers stability and established supply chains with $163.5B FDI annually, but faces slowing growth and demographic headwinds. India offers higher growth (6.8% vs 4.2%) and younger demographics, attracting $85.2B FDI, but carries higher execution risk. Growth investors choose India; stability-focused investors choose China.
What are China's main economic challenges in 2026?
China faces an aging population (median age 39), a real estate crisis with $7+ trillion in local government debt, and slowing growth from 8-10% historically to 4.2%. Youth unemployment reached 21% in 2023, and productivity gains from manufacturing are plateauing.
Why is India's IT services sector so dominant globally?
India has 4.2M IT professionals with cost advantages (salaries 40% below US/Europe), fluent English-speaking workforce, and three decades of outsourcing expertise. Indian IT companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro) serve 90% of Fortune 500 companies, generating $254B in annual exports—12x more than China's tech services.
How to Choose Between India Economy and China Economy
Nominal GDP Size (2025): India Economy has $13.6 trillion, while China Economy has $17.9 trillion.
Annual GDP Growth Rate: India Economy has 6.8%, while China Economy has 4.2%.
Manufacturing Output Share: India Economy has 12% of global, while China Economy has 28% of global.
Consider: IT & Services Exports Annual Value
IT & Services Exports Annual Value: India Economy has $254 billion, while China Economy has $89 billion.
Consider: Foreign Direct Investment (2024)
Foreign Direct Investment (2024): India Economy has $85.2 billion, while China Economy has $163.5 billion.
Per Capita Income: India Economy has $2,389 USD, while China Economy has $12,556 USD.
Population Size: India Economy has 1.45 billion, while China Economy has 1.42 billion.