Submitted by Taps Coogan on the 20th of August 2018 to The Sounding Line.

The following animated population pyramid, from Twitter user Simon Kuestenmacher, highlights one of the major global demographic shifts currently underway: based on UN population projections, India is set to surpass China as the world’s most populous country.

After decades under China’s now somewhat relaxed ‘One Child‘ policy, China’s fertility rate dropped below two children per woman, the minimum rate required to sustain a stable population. While China’s population is still growing as a result of increased life expectancy, the number of children being born peaked in the early 1970s and the number of working age adults peaked around 2015. As a result, China’s population is expected to begin declining in the mid 2020s. India’s fertility rate remains above two and the number of children being born likely peaked in just the last few years. India’s increasing life expectancy and higher birth rates are expected to keep its population growing until around 2070, when it is projected to be 1.75 billion people. Compared to today, India’s population will increase by an amount equivalent to the entire population of the EU plus Canada (540 million) by 2070.

Cool animated age pyramid compares the populations of #India and #China between 1950 and 2100. Source: https://t.co/eWLs4z3QIR #geographyteacher #demographics #geography pic.twitter.com/0Ghv8Rgk1Z

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) August 20, 2018

To see the dynamic ranking of the world’s most populous countries until 2100, read this.

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