India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country in the second half of next year, says a United Nations report.
China’s 1.43 billion population will be stagnant next year, while India’s will surge past it in the second half from 1.41 billion now, the report said. India’s population is set to surge to 1.7 billion by 2050, while China’s will fall to 1.3 billion, it added.
China’s population may start to decline as early as next year, while its average life expectancy of almost 85 years is expected to continue to rise, adding pressure on costs and possibly growth, too, it said.
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India’s increasing population will put further pressure on the provision of schools and healthcare while it may also offer a window of opportunity for accelerated economic growth as the working-age population increases, it added.
The proportion of people aged over 65 in South East and East Asia is expected to double from 13% to 26% by 2050, the report said.
The world’s population is expected to reach 8 billion by November, the report added.
- Alfie Habershon
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