New Delhi, April 19 (Thetrendingpeople) - India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous nation, according to a report by the United Nations Population Fund. The report shows that India's population is estimated to reach 1.4286 billion by mid-year, while China's population is at 1.4257 billion, with a difference of 2.9 million. The United States comes in third with an estimated population of 340 million as of the end of June.
Experts had previously predicted that India's population would surpass China's in April, but the UN report did not specify a date due to uncertainty about data from both countries. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed India's census, which was supposed to be conducted in 2021.
Both India and China account for more than a third of the global population, which is estimated to be 8.045 billion. However, population growth in both countries has been slowing, with China's population falling for the first time in six decades last year.
The report also revealed that a public survey conducted by the UNFPA found that the most commonly held opinion in India, as well as in Brazil, Egypt, and Nigeria, was that the population in each country "was too large and fertility rates were too high."
According to Poonam Muttreja, an official of the voluntary group Population Foundation of India, the country has done many things right in tackling population growth. However, there is a need to ensure that girls and women are not pushed into early marriages and pregnancies, which limit their aspirations.
Andrea Wojnar, the UNFPA's India representative, said in a statement that "population numbers should not trigger anxiety or create alarm. Instead, they should be seen as a symbol of progress, development, and aspirations if individual rights and choices are being upheld."
