Population

India passes China as world’s most populous nation, UN says

India’s population surpassed 1.4286 billion, slightly higher than China’s 1.4257 billion people, according to mid-2023 estimates

India seized the top spot as it added about 23 million babies in 2022, while China’s population started shrinking for first time in six decades

India has overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation, according to United Nations data released Wednesday.

India’s population surpassed 1.4286 billion, slightly higher than China’s 1.4257 billion people, according to mid-2023 estimates by the UN’s World Population dashboard. China’s numbers do not include Hong Kong and Macau, Special Administrative Regions of China, and Taiwan, the data showed.

The burgeoning population will add urgency for prime minister Narendra Modi’s government to create employment for the ...