“India Surpasses China as Most Populous Country, Reaching 1.44 Billion - UNFPA Report”

Current Context: According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, India’s population is projected to reach 1.4286 billion by mid-2023.

• This would make India the most populous country in the world, surpassing China’s population of 1.4257 billion.
• The UNFPA’s population forecast for India is an estimate, as there has been no census in the country since 2011.
• The 2021 census was cancelled due to Covid and postponed to 2022, and it has now been pushed back again to 2024.
• It’s important to note that the UN’s estimate does not include the population of China’s two Special Administrative Regions - Hong Kong and Macau, which together have more than 8 million people.
• Both India and China have seen declines in their fertility rates.
• In China, the population will start declining next year, despite the country abandoning its one-child policy in 2016.
• In India, too, fertility rates have fallen substantially in recent decades from 5.7 births per woman in 1950 to 2.2 births per woman today.

Question:

Q.1 What is the projected population of India by mid-2023 according to the UNFPA report?
a. 1.4257 billion
b. 1.4286 billion
c. 1.5 billion
d. 1.3 billion