India, Jan. 1 -- On the first day of 2025, it is worthwhile to underline that it has been four years since India should have had a decadal census, and this year may finally end the crucial data drought. Meanwhile, according to the UN's population projections, India has been the most populous country in the world since 2023, and has added 189.7 million people between 2011 (when the last census took place) and 2024.

While we wait for a census to reveal a lot more data than the population head count, here are four charts based on UN population projections that place India's demographics in the global context.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times....