India will soon overtake China as the most populous country in the world. According to estimates by the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA by the middle of the year, almost three million more people will live in India than in China, according to data from the organization’s world population report published on Wednesday. According to this, India will then have 1.4286 billion inhabitants and China 1.4257 billion. The total world population then amounts to 8.045 billion people.
The UN said that it was not possible to determine the exact date when India will overtake China given the available data. In India, for example, the most recent census was in 2011. A new count was supposed to follow in 2021, but it was postponed.
Population growth in both countries has recently decreased. China’s population shrank last year for the first time in six decades. India’s population is likely to continue to grow for the time being. (dpa)
