Story in charts: World nears 8 bn mark, India must focus on human capital

In 2026, the age group of 25 and 29 will have the highest number of people, and in 2036, India's largest population group will be in the late 30s

On November 15, the world's population will surpass the 8 billion mark. India will be the second most populous country in the world, only behind China. However, within the next six months, India will cross China to become the country with the highest population. According to the 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects by the United Nations (UN), on July 1, 2023, India will have 1.428 billion people. China, on the other hand, will have 1.425 billion people.

 

However, India's total fertility rate (TFR) currently stands at 2. This is below the ideal replacement rate of 2.1. In other