India on course to surpass China as most-populous country in 2023

The world's population is expected to reach eight billion by November, 2022.

India is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country by next year, according to a newly released United Nations report. The development comes four years ahead of an earlier UN estimate.

The reported elaborated on the changes that the world will witness in the next few years. It added that the planet will be home to 8 billion people by November this year, and more than half of this projected increase will be concentrated in just 8 countries; Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

The population growth in countries like India has been attributed to factors such as developments in medicine and science. It adds that by 2050, the global average life expectancy will be around 77.2 years, writes The Independent.

Meanwhile, China remains the most populous country in the world with over 1.4 billion people. It is expected to see an absolute decline in its population by next year. China has the lowest fertility rates in the world at 1.15 children per woman despite having done away with its controversial one child policy in 2016.

The report comes in the backdrop of some of the world's most developed economies seeing a decline in fertility rates. It adds that as many as 61 countries will see their population decline by at least 1% by 2050.

In 2022, the average fertility rate stood at around 2.3 births per woman across a lifetime as opposed to approximately 5 births per woman in 1950. "Global fertility is projected to decline further to 2.1 births per woman by 2050," adds the latest report.

The UN's report was released on World Population Day. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement said that the day marks "an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans 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," he added.