Which country has the largest population in the world?

India surpasses China to become the world's most populous country.

MarketWatch's analysis of United Nations (UN) data shows that India has surpassed China to become the world's most populous country with a population of 1,425,782,975 as of April 14, 2023, while China's population is projected to decrease to 1,425,748,032.

China has reportedly held the position of the world's most populous country at least since 1950, when the UN began publishing population data.

This forecast is based on data published in July 2022 in the UN's "World Population Prospects" report and a simple linear equation. However, the UN report estimates that India will surpass China to become the world's most populous country "around 2023".

The UN collects population data from more than 200 countries and regions that have at least 1,000 people in the previous year. The data is collected from various sources, depending on how a country assesses its own population. The UN's population forecasts are then made for January 1st and July 1st each year.

World - Which country has the largest population in the world? — India is the most populous country in the world. (Illustrative image.)

Previously, the UN predicted India's population would be 1,422,026,528 on January 1, 2023, and 1,428,627,663 on July 1, 2023, an increase of over 6.6 million. On January 1, 2023, China ranked number one with a population of 1,425,849,288, a figure projected to decrease to 1,425,671,352 by July due to a total loss of nearly 178,000 people.

Specifically, MarketWatch examined the daily rate of change to determine the precise point at which India's population surpassed China's. It's a rudimentary, but widely accepted, approach. UN data shows a population difference from January 1st to July 1st, with India adding an average of approximately 36,470 people per day, while China's population decreased, albeit slowly, by about 983 people per day. Hourly data analysis from April 14th confirms that the population difference between the two countries occurred early in the day.

India could become home to 1.7 billion people by 2064.

The UN says that, at its current population growth rate, India could become home to 1.7 billion people by 2064.

This population increase will bring advantages in terms of workforce for the South Asian nation. However, alongside this, the Indian government will also face many challenges in ensuring food, housing, as well as healthcare and education for nearly 1.5 billion people. It is estimated that around 800 million people in the country are receiving government assistance.

Faced with a rapidly growing population, the Indian government has long planned to boost agricultural production to support the country's rapid population growth. Currently, India is the world's second-largest producer of rice, wheat, and sugar, the largest consumer of sugar, and the leading importer of cooking oil, according to Reuters.

Truc Chi (according to VNA, Dan Tri)

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