India surpasses China to become world’s most populous nation: UN data

NEW DELHI, APR 19 (PTI): India has surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation with 142.86 crore people, shows the latest UN data, even as UN projections estimate that the country’s population is expected to grow for the next three decades after which it will begin declining. China now has a population of 142.57 crore, thus being the second most populous country, the UN world population dashboard showed. Nearly 50 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 25 years, according to UNFPA India representative Andrea Wojnar. According to the UNFPA’s State of World Population (SWP) Report 2023, about 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.

People wait at a platform during peak hours at CSMT in Mumbai, Wednesday. (PTI) 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.

UN projections estimate that the country’s population is expected to grow for the next three decades after which it will begin declining.

heads of Anti-Narcotics Task Forces of states and Union territories, Shah said the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a target to create a drug-free India by 2047 when the country attains 100th year of independence.

“Drug traders are the main culprits as the drug consumers are the victims. We have to take a ruthless approach against the drug traders and the strongest possible action should be taken against them,” he said.

The home minister said the Narendra Modi government is committed to eradicating the menace of drugs and a “whole of government” approach should be taken against it as it can destroy the future generations, he said.

“Narcotics not only make the young generation hollow, but along with this, there are many bad effects on the country’s economy as well. Simul - taneously, through narcoterror, through smuggling of narcotics, the security of the country’s border can be breached.... If the 130 crore Indians fight it together, we will win this battle,” he said.

Shah appealed to everyone to rise above politics and asked the state governments to keep aside their political differences and join the fight against narcotics together. “If we think about the fight against narcotics, it seems very difficult, but if we fight it after planning, then the way to victory opens up quickly. And the recent results in this fight against drugs are encouraging,” he said. He said a drug network chart of states and districts must be prepared and that until the chart is ready, it would be not known how widespread the problem is and where focus has to be given. The home minister said this fight against narcotics will have to be fought not only by the government but by making it a people’s fight. He said a “top of the bottom and bottom to top” approach has to be taken and when the smallest amount of drug is found, its source has to be found, the drug network has to be probed and then only the fight against narcotics will be successful.

Incidentally, the UNFPA’s SWP report earlier said that India will surpass China by mid-2023. The population demographics of India vary from state to state. Kerala and Punjab have an ageing population while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a young population, UN analysis has revealed. 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