India will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by the end of this week, according to the United Nations.
New data indicates that India’s population will reach 1,425,775,850 by the end of April.
A distinct United Nations organisation predicted last week that India would surpass China by the middle of this year.
Asia has been home to more than a third of the world’s population for over seven decades.
China will shortly relinquish its long-held position as the world’s most populous nation, according to a statement from the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
It added that “due to the uncertainty associated with estimating and projecting populations, the exact date when India is expected to surpass China in terms of population size is approximative and subject to revision.”
The UN Population Fund predicted last week that by the middle of 2023, India will have 2,9 million more inhabitants than China.
China’s population shrank in 2017 for the first time since 1961, as the country’s fertility rate plummeted recently.
According to DESA, China’s population could fall below 1 billion by the end of the century.
“In contrast, it is anticipated that India’s population will continue to grow for several decades,” it added.
However, fertility rates in India are also declining, from 5.7 births per woman in 1950 to 2.2 births per woman in the present day.
The global population surpassed 8 billion in November. The rate of growth, according to specialists, is now the lowest it has been since 1950.
