The title of the world’s most populous country changes this month
China has officially handed over the title of the most populous country in the world to India. With the population of China declining, India is projected to overtake China this month as “the world’s most populated country”. According to the estimates of the United Nations (UN), India will be the most populous country in the world with a population of more than 1.4 billion in the second half of April.
The population of India was announced as 1.21 billion as a result of the internal census conducted in 2011. The government postponed the census, which is carried out every 10 years, in 2021, citing the Covid-19 outbreak. The latest data means that 210 million people have been added to the population in 12 years, almost as much as the entire population of Brazil. However, this also means new problems, as India is experiencing a serious unemployment problem with population growth.
The population of China, which India overtook, fell by 800,000 in 2022, the first since 1961. Birth rates in China fell to 6.77 per thousand in 2022, the lowest level since 1949 when national records began to be kept. In China, where the population growth rate has decreased since 2016, the government abandoned the “one child” policy that had been implemented since the 1980s. First, the limit for having children was increased to 2 in 2016. Then, in 2021, a change in law was passed allowing families to have 3 children.
According to the UN, the world population is expected to reach 8 and a half billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100. With such rapid population growth, it is important for governments to address the challenges that come with it, such as unemployment, poverty, and resource depletion. Hopefully, with successful policies and initiatives, nations can find a balance between population growth and sustainability.
