For many years, China has been the world's most populous country. However, India has been catching up, with 1132 million in mid-2007 and growing at 1.6% per year, versus China then with 1318 million and growing at only 0.6% per year. If these rates continue, when will India have more people than China?
To determine when India will have more people than China, we can use a basic calculation.
First, let's calculate the annual population growth of each country:
India's population growth rate is 1.6% per year.
China's population growth rate is 0.6% per year.
Next, let's calculate the difference in population between the two countries in mid-2007:
India's population in mid-2007: 1132 million.
China's population in mid-2007: 1318 million.
The difference in population is 1318 million - 1132 million = 186 million.
Now, let's calculate how many years it will take for India's population to exceed China's population.
We'll divide the difference in population (186 million) by the annual population growth rate difference (1.6% - 0.6% = 1%).
186 million / 1% = 18,600 million.
So, it will take approximately 18,600 years for India's population to exceed China's population if the current growth rates continue.
However, it's worth noting that population growth rates can vary over time due to various factors, so this estimation may not be entirely accurate.