India to overtake China to become world’s most populous country
New Delhi, Apr 15 (EFE).- India is poised to become the most populous country in the world and could overtake China this month of April, according to recent estimates.
With some 1.430 million inhabitants India’s population has quadrupled in the last 70 years.
The shift comes at a time when the Indian economy is thriving and would have far-reaching consequences for the nation’s global influence and development.
HOW THE POPULATION HAS BOOMED
Since 1950, when the United Nations began keeping records, the population of India has grown by more than one billion, more than the total population of Europe.
What is more, India’s population continues to rise, unlike China, which for the first time in decades has begun to show negative growth.
According to a 1941 census, India had a population of around 360 million, meaning the nation has nearly quadrupled in size since its independence from the British Empire in 1947.
WHEN WILL INDIA OVERTAKE CHINA?
India has not had a population census since 2011, although various estimates based on UN data place its population at over 1.423 million, exceeding that of China, which has been the most populous country in the world since 1950.
However, experts cannot pinpoint exactly when India will officially take over, so they base expectations on estimated projections.
The UN has stated the milestone will take place in mid-April, backing Indian sociologist S.K. Chaudhury’s claims to EFE that India will surpass China at some point this year.
However, demographer Rajesh K. Chauhan says the shift will not happen for another four years.
INDIA’S CITIES, HOME TO 1.4 BILLION
The population density in India is concentrated in metropolitan areas and in the northern states of the country, where the average fertility rates are higher.
Urban cities like New Delhi, the financial hub of Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai drive population growth due to industrial development.
With more than 21 million inhabitants, Mumbai is today the most populous city in India, followed by the capital, with almost 20 million inhabitants.
Both megacities have populations that exceed countries like Israel, Poland and Australia.
A sixth of India’s population resides in in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which is as big as the United Kingdom and is the most the most populous state in India.
