India to Surpass China as World's Most Populous Country in 2023.

India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous country in the middle of this year, with an estimated population of 1.4286 billion people versus China's 1.4257 billion, according to a new report from the United Nations. The shift in timing has been sped up by a drop in China's fertility rate, with families having fewer children. India's population between ages 15 and 24 is the biggest in the world, at 254 million, while China has a lower fertility rate and a greater percentage of its population above age 65.