India to have more people than China by mid-2023: UN

Subject : International Organizations

Section: Reports and Indices

Concept :

India is probably the world’s most populous country already. The latest estimates from the United Nations (UN) say India’s population is expected to surpass that of mainland China by around 3 million people by the end of June 2023.

Key-highlights of the UN Report

According to demographic data from the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA)-
Grouping the population
- 25 percent of India’s population is estimated at below 14 years old
- 18 percent is estimated in the 10-19 year age group
- 26 percent in the 10-24 year bracket
- 68 percent in the 15-64 year age group
- 7 percent is estimated to be over 65 years old
In contrast, 17% of China’s population is estimated to be below 14 years of age, and 14 percent is estimated to be above 65 years old.
The UN report estimates India’s population will hit 1428.6 million my mid-2023, while China’s (excluding Hong Kong and Macao, Special Administrative Regions of China, and Taiwan Province of China) is estimated to reach 1425.7 million.
Asia’s third-largest economy will soon house almost a fifth of humanity, more than the populations of Europe, Africa, or the Americas.
Distant third: The United States is estimated to be a distant number three in the rankings, with nearly 340 million people.
The report says eight countries will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

What does the Indian government’s data show?

Data from the Indian government, meanwhile, says India’s annual population growth has averaged 1.2 percent since 2011, compared with 1.7 percent in the 10 years previously.

United Nations Population Fund

It is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly and works as a sexual and reproductive health agency.
The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establishes its mandate.
It was established as a trust fund in 1967 and began operations in 1969.
In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation, ‘UNFPA’ for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities was retained.
UNFPA works directly to tackle Sustainable Development Goals on health (SDG3), education (SDG4) and gender equality (SDG5).
UNFPA is not supported by the UN budget, instead, it is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, foundations and individuals.
The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication.
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