India’s population to be world’s largest by end of month, says UN

By the end of April, India’s population is expected to reach 1.425 billion, which means it will match and then surpass mainland China’s

Thousands of people arrive for the Ramnavi festival in Ayodhya, India (Manish Swarup/AP)

India will be the world’s most populous country by the end of this month, eclipsing an ageing China, the United Nations said.

The milestone raises questions about whether India can repeat the economic success that has made China central to the world’s economy and a leading global power.