It will be the first time India’s population exceeds China’s since 1950, when the UN first began to collect and release population data. The UNFPA’s media and crisis communications advisor, Anna Jeffreys, said there were no ‘perfect numbers’ for either country; “… what is important is how India and China support their populations,” she explained.
With reference to current demographics, the UNFPA also said a quarter of India’s population is under 14 years of age, while 18 per cent are between 10 and 19, 26 per cent between 10 and 24, and 68 per cent were between 15 and 64 years old. Seven per cent is over the age of 65.
The corresponding figures for China are 17, 12, 18, 69 and 14 per cent, which means the country has nearly 200 million people above the age of 65.
This, the agency’s country rep, Andrea Wojner, said suggests a ‘clear demographic advantage’ for India. “Its young population in a consumer-driven economy will be a major factor in driving the country’s development and presents an enormous opportunity for the country’s economic growth.”
Source- Hindustan Times.