India set to become most populous country in 2023, overtaking China

India to lead global population: This year, India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country, with an estimated population of 1.428.6 million, compared to 1.425.7 million in China. The United States is a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million. 

According to the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) ‘State of World Population Report, 2023’, the data reflects information available as of February 2023. Population experts have said it is not possible to specify a date for when the change will take place due to ‘uncertainty’ about the data coming out of India and China. 

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The population growth in both Asian giants has been slowing, with China's population falling for the first time in six decades last year. India's annual population growth has averaged 1.2 per cent since 2011, compared to 1.7 per cent in the ten years prior. 

UNFPA India Representative, Andrea Wojnar said that population numbers should not trigger anxiety or create alarm, and instead should be seen as a symbol of progress, development, and aspirations.

"The Indian survey findings suggest that population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public," Andrea Wojnar, Representative for UNFPA India, said in a statement.

"Yet, 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," she said.

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