India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation, with almost 3 million more people than its neighbour by the middle of this year. India’s population by mid-year is estimated at 1.4286 billion, against 1.4257 billion for China.
The United States stands out at the third place with an estimated population of 340 million (34 crore) as buy the end of June.
The UN population officials have said it was not possible to pinpoint a date because of uncertainty about data from India and China, India’s last census was held in the year 2011 and the upcoming one, which was due in 2021, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both the nations will be accountable for more than one third of the total world population of 8.045 billion, however, population growth has been slowing, and much faster in China than India.
Last year, the Chinese population fell for the first time in six decades, a historic turn to of decline in citizen numbers, with profound implications for its economy and the world.
“Population is important but talents are also important… China has taken active measures to respond to population aging,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin told Reuters.
India’s annual population growth has averaged 1.2% since 2011, down from 1.7% in the previous decade, as per the government data.
India had done many things right in tackling population growth, said Poonam Muttreja, an official of the voluntary group Population Foundation of India.
“At the same time, we need to make sure that girls and women are not pushed into early marriages and pregnancies, which limit their aspirations,” added Muttreja in a statement.