According to a UN report released on Wednesday, India has a population of 1.428 billion, making it the most populous country in the world, surpassing China’s population of 1.425 billion. India’s population has overtaken China’s for the first time since the UN began collecting and releasing population data in 1950. While India has a younger population and a higher fertility rate, China’s population is ageing with stagnant growth. The report stated that 25% of the people in India are in the 0-14 age category, 18% in the 10-19 age category, 26% in the 10-24 age category, 68% in the 15-64 age category, and 7% are aged 65 years or older. In comparison, China has 17% of its population in the 0-14 age category, 12% in the 10-19 age category, 18% in the 10-24 age category, 69% in the 15-64 age category, and 14% aged 65 years or older. India’s population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 165 crore and then start declining, according to estimates by different agencies. However, India has no recent official data on its population as it has not conducted a census since 2011, and the 2021 census was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. China’s population shrank for the first time since 1960, according to AFP, as birth rates plunge and its workforce ages. Several regions have announced plans to boost birth rates, but official efforts have so far failed to reverse the decline. The UN report also estimated that the global population will have hit 8.045 billion by mid-2023, and other countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, can expect a demographic slump over the coming decades.