<h5>Whoa! What is India’s current population?</h5><p>According to data provided by the United Nations (UN), India has surpassed China to become the world's most populated country. The data shows India’s population is 142.86 crore, whereas China's population is 142.57 crore. The UN has been collecting data for making the most populous countries list since 1950.</p><p>This is the first time India has topped this list. India does not have any official data on its population. This is because the government has not performed a census since 2011. The census is conducted every ten years. It was scheduled for 2021, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/india-overtakes-china-as-the-most-populous-country%2Findia-crowd-market%20(2).jpg?alt=media&amp;token=8c0387ff-c9e3-4217-998f-b970eeb1cb41"><figcaption><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;"><span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">A crowded market street in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Photo by McKay Savage / CC BY 2.0.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to UN data, around 25% of the country’s population is under the age of 14. 68% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64, with 7% over the age of 65. Reports say India's population would continue to grow for about three decades before peaking at 165 crores. After that, it will start declining. Also, China’s population is seen to be declining.</p><h5>Why is China’s population declining?</h5><p>China is facing a population decline as birth rates fall and the country’s workforce ages. On January 2023, it was revealed that China’s population had decreased by 8,50,000 in 2022. This was the first drop since 1961 when the country was facing a famine. Experts said that India would overtake China as the most populous country this year (this turned out to be true).</p><p>Birth rates in China have been declining since the 1980s, with the implementation of the "one-child policy.” In order to reduce population increase, this policy required many families to have only one child. While the strategy was effective in controlling population growth, the majority of the population in China is not young.</p><p>In 2016, this policy was removed, but this did not consistently increase birth rates. It has also been found that young Chinese are marrying late, having fewer children, or not having children. The number of married couples in China has also decreased. All these are the reasons behind China’s declining population.</p><h5>Is India’s population growth good or bad for the country?</h5><p>If you have travelled in public transport like local trains, buses, or metros, you know that overcrowding is already an issue in India. Our country has limited resources and space but with the increasing population, these resources might become more expensive.</p><p>India's young population is driving the country’s population growth. But, employment is one of the most difficult challenges that young Indians face. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reports India's unemployment rate grew from 4.9% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2020.</p><p>The majority of unemployed Indians are recent graduates who struggle to find respectable work. So, an increase in population while there are fewer employment opportunities will hurt the country’s development.</p><p>The good news is that the Indian government has started various initiatives to increase job creation and economic growth. So, as the population grows, India’s workforce also increases. As there are more individuals available to work, productivity and economic growth may increase.</p><p>This shows that an increase in population has both advantages and disadvantages.</p>

We now have the largest population in the world.

India Overtakes China as the Most Populous Country

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