China’s population is expected to peak at around 1.45 billion in 2050, the latest official data has revealed, marking a shift from earlier estimates following the easing of the one-child policy. Worryingly for the government, China will go through a “key transitional period” between 2021 and 2030 when the country will witness a decrease in the working age population, said the national population development plan for 2016-2030 released by the State Council, the country’s cabinet. By UN estimates, India is likely to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in the next decade and it will continue to be ahead of China by 2050. “As of 2015, China's population was 1.375 billion,” the official Xinhua news agency reported, quoting new data from the State Council. The report said that besides a decrease in the working age population, China will witness other population-related phenomenon: More elderly people, continuing population migration and increasingly diverse family patterns.

Source: Hindustan Times January 26, 2017 15:47 UTC