China-India population debate comes down to quantity vs quality after social media sparks storm

China’s overall population only increased by less than half a million last year to 1.4126 billion, according to official government data

A widely shared social media claimed India’s population had hit 1.415 billion earlier this month, although the figure was widely criticised as it lacked official authority

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Mainland China’s overall population increased to 1.4126 billion in 2021, but the national growth rate hit a record low of just 0.34 per thousand. Photo; AFP

Published: 8:00am, 26 Mar 2022Updated: 2:51pm, 26 Mar 2022

A social media post in early March claiming that India had become the world’s most populous country created a storm in China.

The post claimed India’s population had hit 1.415 billion and was widely shared on social media, adding to rocky relations between Beijing and New Delhi and concerns over domestic growth hurdles in China, while also fuelling discussions about a host of social issues.

Demographic issues have been a hot topic in China since last year, when the once-a-decade census found the national fertility rate was alarmingly low.

That census confirmed China’s population in 2020 was 1.412 billon, compared to 1.38 billion in India, according to the United Nations.

China’s overall population only increased by less than half a million last year to 1.4126 billion, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirmed in January, with the UN listing India’s population at 1.393 billion last year.

India’s government, though, has not been able to complete its planned own once-a-decade census in 2021 due to the coronavirus and the 1.415 billion figure was widely criticised as it lacked official authority.