India has surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation with a population of 142.86 crore people, according to the United Nations data. As per the UN world population dashboard, China has a population of 142.57 crore.
This marks the first time in modern history that India has held the title of the world’s most populous nation since 1950, as it was previously held by China for many decades. 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, as per the new UNFPA report.
According to the report, the average life expectancy for an Indian (male) is 71 and for females is 74. In 2016, China withdraws its strict “one-child policy” which was imposed in 1980s amid fear of overpopulation.
India has not conducted a census since 2011 so the country has no official data on its population status. The global population will reach 8.045 billion by mid-2023, according to the new UN report estimations.
