India has surpassed China as the world's most populated nation. India has 1.428 billion people compared to China's 1.425 billion, according to UN figures. This is the first time that India has topped the UN list of most populous countries since it started collecting population data in 1950.
As its workforce ages and fertility rates decrease, China is in danger of experiencing a demographic decline. Although official attempts have so far failed to reverse the decrease, certain regions have also announced measures to increase birth rates.
India has not conducted a census since 2011, hence there are no current official figures on the country's population. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, India's once in every 10 years census was postponed till 2021.
Nearly 1/4th of India's population is under the age of 14, according to the UN data. Sixty eight per cent of the population is in the 15 to 64 age group, while 7 per cent is above the age of 65. Estimates by different agencies have suggested that India's population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 1.65 billion and then would start declining.
The new UN report also estimated that the global population will have hit 8.045 billion by mid-2023. According to additional UN data released in July that predicted how the world's population will develop between now and 2100, other countries, primarily in Europe and Asia, should expect a demographic decline over the coming decades.