[국제]China’s population already reversed by India?

[앵커]
It has been estimated that China has already given way to India as the world’s most populous country.

In particular, the problem of low birth rate and aging population is so serious that the ‘Chinese dream’ of catching up with the United States by 2049 may be caught up.

This is Correspondent Kang Jeong-kyu in Beijing.

[기자]
China 1.425 billion, India 1.428 billion.

This is a number posted in real time by the World Population Review (WPR), a census agency.

Foreign media cited this agency’s statistics and reported that India’s population had already overtaken China’s at the end of last year.

This is a faster reversal than the United Nations predicted that the world’s first and second populations would be overturned within this year.

In fact, last year China’s population declined for the first time in 61 years.

[캉이 / 中 국가통계국장 (지난 17일) : 전국 인구는 14억 1175만 명으로 전년 동기 대비 85만 명 줄었습니다.]

China, which has had a one-child policy since 1979, allowed two children in 2016 and three children in 2021.

However, China’s birth rate last year was the lowest since statistics were compiled in 1949 (6.77‰).

[웨이차오 / 상하이 주민 : 나라가 육아 압박을 줄여주고 지원을 더 많이 해야 합니다. 좋은 교육을 할 수 없다면 아이 갖길 원하지 않을 테니까요.]

At this rate, it is even predicted that by 2050, the number of newborns in China will be only one-third of that in India.

The aging problem is even more serious.

Last year, China’s population aged 65 and over (205.6 million people) accounted for 14.2%, already entering an aging society.

Also, as of 2050, China’s median age is 50 years old, 8 years older than India (37.5 years) and the United States (42.3 years).

[시진핑 / 중국 국가주석 (지난해 10월) : 중화민족의 위대한 부흥을 전면 추진하기 위해 단결하고 분투합시다!]

In 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the country, setbacks are expected in the “Chinese dream” of overtaking the United States and leaping forward as the world’s most powerful country.

This is YTN Jungkyu Kang from Beijing.

YTN Kang Jeong-gyu ([email protected])

※ ‘Your report becomes news’

[카카오톡] Search YTN and add a channel

[전화] 02-398-8585

[메일] [email protected]

[저작권자(c) YTN 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]