With the second largest population in the world India is one of the most densely populated countries, with people constantly jostling for space on nearly every street corner, apartment block, train car and house of worship.
The projections – made by the UN’s Population Division – suggest that by 2024, India will surpass China to become the world’s most populous country.
Rapidly declining fertility rates – from an average of 6 children down to 2.4 children per woman – means its population growth has fallen significantly over the last few decades. This means that while it will be the most populous country for the rest of the century, it’s expected to reach ‘peak population’ in the late 2050s at around 1.7 billion before slowly falling in the second half of the century.