Together, Asian countries represent more than one-third of the global population.

India is on track to become the most populous country in the world, surpassing China with nearly 3 million more inhabitants by mid-year, according to data released on Wednesday (19) by the United Nations.

Demographic data from the “State of World Population Report, 2023” by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates India’s population at 1.4286 billion, compared to China’s 1.4257 billion.

The United States is a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million, according to the report, which reflects information available as of February 2023.

Population experts, using previous UN data, projected that India would surpass China this month. But the latest global report did not specify a date for when the change would occur.

UN officials said it was not possible to specify a date due to “uncertainty” about data from India and China, especially since India’s last census was conducted in 2011 and the next one scheduled for 2021 was postponed due to the pandemic.

Although India and China represent more than one-third of the estimated global population of 8.045 billion, population growth in both Asian giants is slowing, at a much faster rate in China than in India.

Last year, China’s population declined for the first time in six decades, a historic turning point that is expected to mark the beginning of a long period of decline in the number of citizens with profound implications for its economy and the world.

India’s annual population growth has averaged 1.2% since 2011, compared to 1.7% in the previous 10 years, according to government data.

“The Indian survey results suggest that population anxieties have infiltrated large portions of the general public,” said Andrea Wojnar, UNFPA representative in India, in a statement.

“However, 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 respected,” she said.

Tags: United Nations, population, demographics, India, China, United States, Asian countries, growth rate, census, pandemic, individual rights.