Editor's Pick: India’s population set to overtake China’s by mid-2023

India is set to overtake China to become the world’s most populous country by the middle of 2023, according to data released by the United Nations. India’s population is pegged to reach 142.86 crore against China’s 142.57 crore. This shows India will have 29 lakh more people than its Asian neighbour. The U.S. is a distant third, the data by the State of World Population Report, 2023 of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) showed. The report says contrary to the alarm bells about exploding numbers, population trends everywhere point to slower growth and ageing societies. Just eight countries will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050 — the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania — while two-thirds of people now live in a country where lifetime fertility corresponds with zero growth. At a time when there have been increasing calls for imposing a two-child norm in India, the UN agency said its findings for India too had suggested that “population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public”. It called for a radical rethink on how countries address changing demographies and cautioned against use of family planning as a tool for achieving fertility targets. Imposition of such targets can lead to imbalanced sex ratios, preferential health and nutrition for male children, denial of the paternity of girl children, violence against women for giving birth to girl children, and coercion of women to have fewer or greater numbers of children. “With close to 50% of its population below the age of 25, India has a time-bound opportunity to benefit from the demographic dividend,” and that it must convert this into “economic benefits through additional investments in health, education, and quality jobs for young people.” The report recommended policies with gender equality and rights at their heart, such as parental leave programmes, child tax credits and policies that promote gender equality in the workplace. Check out The Hindu’s In Focus podcast decoding India’s population conundrum. The Hindu’s Editorials The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste census Old friends: On Russia-India bilateral ties and the Ukraine issue The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Which northeastern State, which appointed two women to the Assembly for the first time this year, is facing opposition to the mandated 33% reservation to women in urban local bodies? Nagaland Meghalaya Manipur Tripura To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 20 April 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( India’s population set to overtake China’s by mid-2023 India is set to overtake China to become the world’s most populous country by the middle of 2023, according to data released by the United Nations. [India’s population is pegged to reach 142.86 crore]( China’s 142.57 crore. This shows India will have 29 lakh more people than its Asian neighbour. The U.S. is a distant third, the data by the State of World Population Report, 2023 of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) showed. The report says contrary to the alarm bells about exploding numbers, [population trends everywhere point to slower growth]( and ageing societies. Just eight countries will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050 — the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania — while two-thirds of people now live in a country where lifetime fertility corresponds with zero growth. At a time when there have been increasing calls for [imposing a two-child norm in India]( the UN agency said its findings for India too had suggested that “population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public”. It called for a radical rethink on how countries address changing demographies and cautioned against use of family planning as a tool for achieving fertility targets. Imposition of such targets can lead to imbalanced sex ratios, preferential health and nutrition for male children, denial of the paternity of girl children, violence against women for giving birth to girl children, and coercion of women to have fewer or greater numbers of children. “With close to 50% of its population below the age of 25, [India has a time-bound opportunity to benefit from the demographic dividend]( and that it must convert this into “economic benefits through additional investments in health, education, and quality jobs for young people.” The report recommended policies with gender equality and rights at their heart, such as parental leave programmes, child tax credits and policies that promote gender equality in the workplace. Check out [The Hindu]( In Focus podcast decoding India’s population conundrum](. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][The caste imperative: On the subject of an updated caste censusÂ]( [Arrow][Old friends: On Russia-India bilateral ties and the Ukraine issue]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Which northeastern State, which appointed two women to the Assembly for the first time this year, is facing opposition to the mandated 33% reservation to women in urban local bodies? - Nagaland - Meghalaya - Manipur - Tripura To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here.]( [Sign up for free]( Copyright @ 2023, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](