World Population Day 2023: Which Country Has The Highest Population?

World Population Day is celebrated on July 11. The day focuses on the urgency and importance of population issues. The United Nations Development Programme established World Population Day in 1989. Through this day, UNDP aims to increase awareness regarding the need to look for solutions to issues related to the increasing population.

In April, this year the United Nations unveiled data, revealing that India, with more than 142.86 crore population, has surpassed China, whose population stands  at 142.57 crores. Since it started collecting data in 1950, this is the first time that India has topped the United Nation's list of most populous countries. This development is the consequence of China's looming demographic decline as birth rates dwindle and the workforce ages.

With an aim to boost birth rates, several regions have also announced the plans. However, no success has been witnessed in the official efforts to reverse the decline. As India hasn't conducted its census since 2011, there is no official data on how many people it has. A census in the country is usually held once a decade.

 As per the UN data, about 1/4th of India's population is under 14 years of age. While 68 per cent of its population lies in between the 15 to 64 age group, it is only 7 per cent that is above 65 years of age. One of the greatest threats that the growing population causes is the quick depletion of natural resources. In addition, it poses a big threat to sustainability.