India is now the world’s most populous nation, having a total population of 1.4286 billion, according to a data released by the United Nations.
The country latest record has slightly overtaken China, which has 1.4257 billion people, although China’s numbers did not include Hong Kong and Macau, special administrative regions of China, and Taiwan.
According to the new report, 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.
Likewise, experts’ estimates suggest the country will also be the world’s fastest-growing major economy in the coming years.
The burgeoning population would add urgency for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to create employment for the millions of people entering the workforce as the nation moves away from farm jobs.
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India’s population growth has outpaced China’s since 1974.
Asia’s third-largest economy is now home to nearly a fifth of humanity — greater than the entire population of Europe or Africa, or the Americas.
“India’s story is a powerful one. It is a story of progress in education, public health, and sanitation, economic development as well as technological advancements,” said Andrea Wojnar, representative of the United Nations Population Fund.
India seized the top spot as it added about 23 million babies in 2022, while China’s population started shrinking for the first time in six decades, with about 9.56 million newborns last year.
