China vs India: Labor force, total

China
768.07 million
in 2025
India
617.62 million
in 2025
China rank
1st
India rank
2nd

Labor force, total over time

  • China
  • India
0200.0M400.0M600.0M800.0M199020072025

How they compare

China currently reports 768.07 million against 617.62 million in India, a difference of 150.45 million.

That makes China's figure about 1.2 times India's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.

Globally, China ranks 1st and India ranks 2nd of 186 countries.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.