The population of India is expected to remain the world's largest throughout this century, according to the the latest edition of the official United Nations population estimates and projection report.
The report, titled “World Population Prospects 2024” was released in conjunction with World Population Day observed on 11 July each year.
The report says that the Indian population will likely decline by 12% after reaching its peak in the early 2060s at about 1.7bn, The data show that the current Indian population stands at 1.45bn and will reach 1.69bn in 2054.
For perspective, the world’s population is expected to grow in the next 50-60 years, reaching its peak of 10.3bn in the mid-2080s.
The report also says that China’s population is expected to fall to 1.21bn in 2054 from 1.41bn at present. It will further decline to 633m by 2100.