China vs India: Adoption of communication technologies
China
166.51 million
in 2024
India
39.24 million
in 2024
China rank
1st
India rank
4th
Adoption of communication technologies over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 166.51 million against 39.24 million in India, a difference of 127.27 million.
That makes China's figure about 4.2 times India's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1975 it was China ahead.
China ranks 1st and India ranks 4th of 212 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.85 million | 1.74 million | 110,858 | China |
| 1980s | 3.29 million | 3.17 million | 122,982 | China |
| 1990s | 43.35 million | 12.79 million | 30.56 million | China |
| 2000s | 285.19 million | 40.57 million | 244.61 million | China |
| 2010s | 238.86 million | 27.09 million | 211.76 million | China |
| 2020s | 177.59 million | 28.29 million | 149.30 million | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher adoption of communication technologies, China or India?
- China, at 166.51 million against 39.24 million in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in adoption of communication technologies between China and India?
- 127.27 million, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for adoption of communication technologies?
- China ranks 1st and India ranks 4th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Adoption of communication technologies. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.