The demographic data cited in the report released on Wednesday estimates India’s population at 1.4286 billion versus 1.4257 billion for China.
On Tuesday, a number of sources, including World Population Prospects and Market Watch, reported that India’s population had already surpassed that of China. These conclusions were drawn from calculations based on UN data on the dynamics of population growth. The methodology used by the UN does not allow to determine a specific day of that happening because the UNFPA usually notes trends in population changes within spans of no less than several months.