According to the United Nations, India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country by the end of this month.

This milestone has led to discussions on whether India will be able to emulate China’s economic triumphs that have made it a significant global power and the centerpiece of the world’s economy, the Associated Press reported.

This news comes as India is projecting itself as a rising international player, hosting this year’s G20 Summit, and becoming an attractive destination for multinational corporations aiming to decrease their dependence on China.

The U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs stated that by the end of April, India’s population is expected to hit 1.425 billion, matching and subsequently surpassing mainland China’s population.

However, demographers claim that the boundaries of population data make it impossible to determine precisely when India’s population will overtake China’s.

Another U.N. report released last week predicted that India will have 2.9 million more people than China by mid-year.

The Indian government, which hasn’t conducted a census since 2011, has not yet given an official statement on the estimates.

Written by staff