India will be the world's most populous country by the end of April, overtaking China, with more than 1.425 billion people, according to a UN agency estimate released on Monday.
China will soon cede its long-held status as the world's most populous country, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in a statement.
"By the end of this month, India's population is expected to reach 1,425,775,850, matching and then surpassing the population of mainland China."
On 19 April, a UN Population Fund (UNFPA) report on the state of the world's population estimated that India's inhabitants would number 1.4286 billion, compared to 1.4257 billion for China, by mid-2023.
