India will become the world’s most populous country in 2023

The United Nations guesses that India’s population will surpass that of China on April 14. (Image: Getty)

Tue, 10 Jan 2023

By Brooke Unger: Senior digital editor, The EconomistChina has been the world’s most populous country for hundreds of years. In 1750, it had an estimated 225 million people, more than a quarter of the world’s total. India, not then a politically unified country, had roughly 200m, which ranked it second. In 2023, it will seize the crown. The United Nations guesses that India’s population will surpass that of China on April 14. India’s population on the following day is projected to be 1,425,775,850.The crown itself has li...

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