July 12, 2022: India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year, according to a report by the United Nations.

The World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division said that the world population is forecast to reach eight billion by mid-November 2022.

According to the report, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.

India, which will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by 2023, is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

The global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1% in 2020.

The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.