India 'overtakes' China to become the world's most populous country

The United Nations says that with the current population growth rate, India could become home to 1.7 billion people by 2064. This population increase will bring certain advantages in terms of labor force for the South Asian country. However, besides that, the Indian government will also face many challenges in ensuring food, shelter as well as medical and educational conditions for nearly 1.5 billion people. According to estimates, about 800 million people in this country are receiving government benefits.

Illustration photo: Reuters

Bihar, one of India's least developed states, has the highest fertility rate at 2.98. State health officials estimate the fertility rate in the city of Kishanganj is currently 4.8 or 4.9. The local government has been aggressively implementing programs to curb population growth. Devendra Kumar, an immunization officer, said Kishanganj plays a "huge role" in India's current population growth.

“Kishangaj plays a significant role in India’s population. We are the second highest in the country in terms of total fertility rate. This is unfortunate because it is a poor district and if the population increases so rapidly, it will be difficult for us with limited resources.”

India, where half the population is under 30, is set to become the world’s fastest-growing major economy in the coming years. To make the most of its youthful population, the Indian government needs to create jobs for the millions of people entering the workforce each year as more and more farmers in the South Asian nation abandon their farm jobs.

The Indian government has long planned to increase agricultural production to cater to the country’s rapidly growing population. India is currently the world’s second-largest producer of rice, wheat and sugar, the largest consumer of sugar, and the world’s leading importer of edible oils.

While India continues to grow rapidly in population, China reported its first population decline in decades last year due to low fertility rates.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the country's population decreased by about 850,000 people by the end of 2022. China's birth rate fell from 7.52 births per 1,000 people in 2021 to 6.77 births, making it one of the lowest birth rates in the world.

The cause of this situation is pointed out to be the rising cost of raising children, the increasingly hesitant generation of young people in China about getting married and starting a family due to economic difficulties and the Covid-19 outbreak, along with other deep, core causes, of which the most prominent is the decades-long one-child policy./.