Chinese take-away
1 min read . Updated: 17 Jan 2023, 09:46 PM IST
Premium- While we await a census, the Chinese population has already peaked, according to Beijing, which has reported about 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than a year earlier
New Delhi: This is the year that India will overtake China to become the world’s most populous country, by estimates from the United Nations (UN). Home to over 1.4 billion people each, both are seen to be roughly level. While we await a census, the Chinese population has already peaked, according to Beijing, which has reported about 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than a year earlier. Its first drop since 1961, China now stares at a long slide towards 770 million by 2100, as per UN data, while India’s count is projected to peak only in 2064. Given the adverse economic implications of a falling headcount, Chinese planners have gone into overdrive with incentives for families to have babies. Beyond tax breaks, some local administrations even offer cash handouts for a second or third child. Shenzhen reportedly has an incentive package of over $5,500 for a three-child family. The takeaway for India? Fertility-rate trends suggest a sooner peak than the UN forecast. We should shun all forms of family-size intervention except to suggest an ideal, as our policy has been. Like China, however, a rapidly emerging economy must also ensure that Indian multitudes are an asset.
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less