How India’s demographic profile has changed over last 8 decades

Independent India turns 78 today with an estimated 1.46 billion population compared to just 346 million in 1950. To be sure, it's not just the number of Indians which has changed in the last almost eight decades. The demographic profile of Indians has also changed significantly. Here is how.

- Abhishek Jha

The median age of India’s population is estimated at 20 years in 1950 (earliest estimate from UN's World Population Prospects report) and is 29 years in 2025. In fact, there’s more to the change in India’s demographics than just ageing. In 1950, each five-year age group had a lower share in population than the preceding five-year group. In other words, children under the age of five were the most populous five-year age group.