With 1.4 billion people, India is likely to overtake China as the world’s most populous country this year. According to the United Nations (UN), “India is likely to replace China as the world’s most populated country, despite slowing population growth.” According to Reuters, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported a reduction of approximately 850,000 people for a population of 1.41175 billion in 2022, marking the first decline since 1961, perhaps making India the world’s most populated nation.
According to government data, the following are some major points concerning India’s demography:
- India’s population is estimated to be 1.38 billion, compared to China’s 1.4 billion.
- Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the country, with a projected population of 230 million people.
- With barely 68,000 individuals, Lakshadweep is the least populous.
- India is one of the world’s youngest countries. 27.3 percent of the population is between the ages of 15 and 29.
- India is one of the eight countries estimated to account for more than half of the projected growth in world population between now and 2050. These countries are, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania.
- Since 2011, India’s yearly population growth rate has averaged 1.2 percent, down from 1.7 percent in the previous ten years.
- In India, the use of family planning methods climbed from 53.5% in 2015-16 to 66.67% in 2019-21.
- India’s total fertility rate (the number of children per woman) has fallen to 2 in 2019-2021, from 3.4 in 1992-93.