The United Nations (UN) projects that India’s population will surpass China’s by the end of this century, as China’s population continues to decline and fall below 1 billion.
In 1971, both India and China had similar fertility rates, but by the end of the decade, China’s fertility rate had decreased by half.
This decline can be attributed to China’s implementation of the one-child policy in 1980.
However, in January 2016, China reversed this policy and allowed couples to have two children.