India will pass China to be most populous nation by mid-2023

By KRUTIKA PATHI
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — The United Nations says India is on track to become the world’s most populous nation, surpassing China by 2.9 million people by mid-2023. While there are hopes India’s young citizenry could drive its economic growth for years, it also might just as easily become a liability if they aren’t adequately employed. China, meanwhile, is struggling with an aging population and stagnant population growth. That has brought expectations that India could become an economic and global heavyweight. China has had the world’s largest population since at least 1950, when the U.N. began issuing population data. Both countries have more than 1.4 billion people, and combined they make up more than a third of the world’s 8 billion people.