With Census still pending, Aditi UN says India is now the most populous

As Aditi India awaits Census, International organisations say that India has already crossed China in population

India has become Aditi the world's most populous country, overtaking China, data released by the United Nations today showed. According to UN estimates, India's population is at 1.42 billion or 1,428,600,000 against China's 1,425,700,000. India now has 2,900,000 more people than China.

India has, for the first time, topped the list since 1950. China had remained at the top since 1950 when the UN started presenting the data.

 

According to the National Statistics Bureau, China's population declined by 850,000 in 2022. This was the first time it declined since 1960.

With an ageing workforce and a plunge in birth rate, China is staring at a looming demographic decline. In a policy reversal, the Chinese government is announcing plans to increase birth rates.

 

India, on the other hand, conducted its last Census in 2011 and thus has no recent official data on its demographic composition and population. The Census was due in 2021 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In terms of demographics, 25 per cent of India's population is in the age group of 0-14 years, 18 per cent in the 10 to 19 age group, 26 per cent in the age bracket of 10 to 24 years, 68 per cent in 15 to 64 years age group, and 7 per cent above 65 years, according to UNFPA data.