In 2023, China will not be the country with the highest population for the first time since the United Nations began tracking global populations in 1950.
This year, the United Nations expects one country to finally overtake China as the country with the highest population in the world. Factors like a steadily declining birth rate and an aging population have contributed to China’s recent population growth crisis. So what country is poised to take over as the most populous in the world this year? India.
While both India and China’s birth rates have been at a relative decline in recent years, China’s has been slowing at a dramatic rate, due to a variety of factors.
Only time will tell if the Chinese government will be able to successfully encourage a baby boom to increase its population once more. However, experts predict that by 2050, just eight countries will be responsible for over half of the global population increase. Additionally, because the third most populous country—the United States—has just about one-quarter of the population of China or India (334 million), it’s safe to say we’ll be watching these Big Two countries duke it out for the foreseeable future.
I – Word Understanding
Poised – prepared and waiting for something to happen
Duke it out – to fight or battle
II – Have Your Say
1, What can you say about China’s decline in population? How would you compare it to the circumstances of your country’s population? Do you think there is a chance to revive China’s population decline?
2, India is poised to be the next most populous country. What do you think is its impact on the world?
938 This Will Soon Be the Most Populous Nation on the Planet—and It’s Not China
