India has surpassed China (142.57 crore) to become the world’s most populous nation with 142.86 crore people, according to United Nations Population Fund, but the news has come with a demographic dividend —about 50 percent of India’s population is below the age of 25 years.
According to the UNFPA’s State of World Population (SWP) Report 2023, about 25 percent of India’s population is in the age group of 0-14 years, 18 percent in the 10 to 19 age group, 26 percent in the age bracket of 10 to 24 years, 68 percent in 15 to 64 years age group, and 7 percent above 65 years, said United Nations Population Fund India representative Andrea Wojnar.
The UN projections estimate that the country’s population is expected to grow for the next three decades after which it will begin declining.
The population demographics of India vary from State to State. UN analysis has revealed that Kerala and Punjab have an aging population, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a young population.
This is the first time that India has topped the UN list of most populous countries since it started collecting population data in 1950. According to the United Nations’ World Population Prospects-2022, India’s population was 86.1 crore while China’s population was 114.4 crore in 1950.
The report further states that by 2050, India’s population is expected to rise to 166.8 crore while China’s population would dip to 131.7 crore.
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