What is the population of China? These are the country's declining numbers.

Earth's population reached a new record in November 2022 when it became home to 8 billion people. The United Nations has predicted that by 2037, Earth's population will have reached 9 billion people.

But which country has the greatest population? In the past, you probably would have guessed China but experts say India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country, with the U.S. in third place with approximately 336 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

What is the population of China?

The population fund reports that China is home to approximately 1.4 billion people, falling short a few thousand people behind India. China previously held the largest population for over 70 years, since the U.N. began releasing population data in 1950.

The United Nations estimates that China's total population will fall by 100 to 200 million people by 2050, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

What is the population of India?

The population of India is approximately 1.4 billion people, according to the United Nations Population Fund. India surpassed its neighbor China as the largest populated country in the world in late April.

Together, India and China make up more than one-third of the world's population, according to the United Nations.

Is China’s population declining?

For the first time in 60 years, China's population declined in 2022 and is projected to continue to decline, according to the World Economic Forum.

The 2022 national birth rate in China fell to an all-time low of 6.77 births for every 1,000 people, down from 7.52 in 2021.

Why is China’s population declining?

China’s population decrease can be tied to the one-child policy that was in effect from 1980 to 2015. The one-child policy was aimed at preventing the social and economic consequences of rapid population growth, according to an article in the National Library of Medicine.

Families were encouraged to only have one child through financial incentives, as well as preferential housing, schools and health services. Larger families were discouraged by financial levies on additional children and sanctions of social pressure or restricted career choices for those in government jobs, reported the article.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China population vs. India: Here's how many people live in the country.