India to surpass China as world's most populous country in April, UN says
Reuters
Published Apr 24, 2023 12:04PM ET
By YP Rajesh
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India’s population is expected to match China’s by the end of April and then to surpass it as the world’s most populous country, the United Nations said on Monday.
The announcement by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) comes days after the UN Population Fund said last week India would have 2.9 million more people than China by the middle of 2023.
India’s population is expected to reach 1,425,775,850 by the end of this month, DESA said, based on the latest UN estimates and projections of the global population.
“China will soon cede its long-held status as the world’s most populous country,” it said, adding that “due to the uncertainty associated with estimating and projecting populations, the specific date on which India is expected to surpass China in population size is approximate and subject to revision.”
Last year, some population experts had used UN data to project India’s population would touch 1,425,775,850 on April 14, 2023.
But UN population officials had said it was not possible to pinpoint a date because of uncertainty relating to data from India and China, with India's last census held in 2011 and the next, which had been due in 2021, being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“China’s population reached its peak size of 1.426 billion in 2022 and has started to fall. Projections indicate that the size of the Chinese population could drop below 1 billion before the end of the century,” DESA said.
“By contrast, India’s population is expected to continue growing for several decades.”
Between 2023 and 2050, the number of people aged 65 or over was expected to nearly double in China and to more than double in India, DESA said.
“Nevertheless, as a proportion of the total population, the growth of the older population in India will be much slower than in China,” it added.
While there was no official reaction from India to the UNFPA report last week, China said dividends from population growth did not only depend on quantity but also on quality and that China’s talent dividend was booming.
Indian analysts and economists said there was no cause for alarm in becoming the world’s most populous country as India’s growth in that regard has been slowing and its majority-young population could be a boon if it creates more opportunities for education and employment.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.