UN data released on Wednesday reveals that India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous nation, with a population of 1.428 billion, which is slightly higher than China’s 1.425 billion people.
India’s rapidly increasing population, where half the population is under 30, will require the government to urgently create employment opportunities as the country moves away from farm jobs. India is expected to be the world’s fastest-growing major economy in the coming years and is now home to almost a fifth of the world’s population, greater than the entire population of Europe, Africa, or the Americas.
Although China currently has a similar population, India’s population is expected to keep growing and reach 1.668 billion by 2050 while China’s population is projected to decline to 1.317 billion due to factors such as an aging workforce, low birth rates, and a high cost of living. China ended its one-child policy in 2016 to encourage more births, but the efforts have not been successful.
India, on the other hand, has not conducted a census since 2011, and the government has been criticized for delaying the next one, possibly to hide data on unemployment ahead of national elections next year. Since 1950, India’s population has grown by more than one billion, presenting challenges in providing basic necessities such as electricity, food, and housing to its citizens.
A new UN report estimates that the global population will reach 8.045 billion by mid-2023.
