The United Nations has said that India is expected to surpass China to become the world’s most populous country by 2022. China and India remain the two largest countries in the world, representing 19 and 18 per cent of the world’s population, respectively.

Currently, among the ten largest countries in the world, one is in Africa (Nigeria), five are in Asia (Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan), two are in Latin America (Brazil and Mexico), one is in Northern America (USA), and one is in Europe (Russian Federation).

The population of Nigeria is projected to surpass that of the US by about 2050. By 2050, six countries are expected to exceed 300 million: China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the USA, the report said. The current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.