Peter Adams | Stone | Getty Images India is on track to overtake China as the world’s most populous country next year, according to a UN report released on Monday. The report, from the population division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said China and India were home to more than 1.4 billion people in 2022. “India is projected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country in 2023,” the UN said. The Indian government’s 2011 census put the country’s population at more than 1.2 billion. “The world’s human population will reach 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022 from about 2.5 billion people in 1950,” according to the UN report. Looking further ahead, the UN said its latest projections showed the world’s population could reach around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 10.4 billion in 2100. Last year, the UN said the “average fertility” of the planet’s population stood at 2.3 births per woman over a lifetime. That compares with about 5 births per woman in 1950, according to Monday’s report. “Global fertility is projected to decline further to 2.1 births per woman by 2050,” it said. The UN report was released on World Population Day. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the day represented “an opportunity to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity and admire the advances in health that have extended life spans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates”. “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” Guterres said.
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With a huge population and a large economy, India’s need for resources in the coming years will become increasingly pressing. On Monday, Reuters, citing information from Refinitiv and trade sources, reported that June saw the country’s coal imports hit a “record high.” The agreement reached at the COP26 climate change summit in November 2021 faced hurdles related to phasing out coal, fossil fuel subsidies and financial support to low-income countries. India and China, both among the world’s biggest coal burners, insisted on a last-minute change in fossil fuel language in the Glasgow Climate Accord — from a “phase-out” of coal to a “phase-out.” After initial objections, the rival countries finally conceded. — CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.
