According to United Nations estimates from 2016, India is the world's second most populous country after China, with an estimated 1,326,801,576 inhabitants. As a result, it is anticipated that the population would surpass China's by 2050, reaching 1.7 billion. The current rate of population increase is 1.2%. The Indian population gradually increased till it reached one billion in 1998. This data differs greatly from that of Europe, where the population within geographical limits was 711 million in 2010. Similarly, population growth is reported to be relatively low in comparison to other continents throughout the world (Gladstone, 2015). This is due to the declining birth rates as well as the aging population. This shows that India’s growth rate is still higher than that of Europe.
Additionally, the second decade following independence saw the greatest population growth rate of 24.8% and is progressively reducing. Conversely, the United States has a resident population of 325,120,392 as of May 2017. While the fertility rates are lower than most Western countries, population growth is ranked among the highest in developed countries. This phenomenon is mostly attributed to the levels of immigration. Apparently, the United States population has grown but at a slightly slower rate than that of India. Also, the increase is mostly due to immigration unlike India’s which is due to factors such as high birth rates and fertility among others (Gladstone, 2015).
The Causes of the high population existing in India today and the rates are due to particular factors. The two primary ones include a high birth rate that surpasses the death rate and high fertility rates sustained by the population policies. Additionally, early marriages, poverty and illiteracy, cultural norms, and illegal migrations all contribute to the ever rising population in this nation. All these indicators indicate that the rapid population growth has the ability to neutralize the economic development of the country. Specifically, high population is likely to cause unemployment, inefficient utilization of workforce, increased pressure on the existing infrastructure such as transport, housing and healthcare facilities and also exploitation of resources. Moreover, decreased production and increased costs will possibly take place, and in the long-run, inequitable income and resource distribution will be experienced (Hindustan Times , 2017). These adverse effects show that India needs to look for appropriate measures to deal with population growth.
As mentioned earlier, India’s share of the population is expected to grow from 17% to 20% by the year 2050, and the current national fertility rate is sufficient to cause this long-term population growth. If no measures are taken, then India will realize the 2 billion mark within this century. However, there is some contention by experts that there is nothing to worry about since the rate of growth has been declining in the past three decades. On the contrary, this decrease may not be enough to deal with the future socio-economic impacts of this high population.
The government of India is therefore tasked with policy-making and implementation aimed at aligning the economic growth with the demands of the increasing population. The major steps include increasing the status of women, improving education, instituting various family planning approaches such as spacing and contraception as well as providing healthcare services to the poor (Phukan, 2014). India’s global economic position is quite encouraging, and for this reason, matters of population growth must be taken seriously by the government so that the country can realize economic prosperity as well as a controlled population.
References
Gladstone, R. (2015, july 29). India Will Be Most Populous Country Sooner Than Thought, U.N. Says. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/world/asia/india-will-be-most-populous-country-sooner-than-thought-un-says.html?_r=1
Hindustan Times . (2017, May 8). Multiplicity: Does India need a population control law? Experts say no . Retrieved from Hindustan Times : http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/does-india-need-a-population-control-law-experts-say-no/story-o1AqTgGmDTzMZMfCR8rPJP.html
Phukan, R. S. (2014, July 31). Overpopulation in India – Causes, Effects and How to Control it? Retrieved from Maps of India: http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/india/overpopulation-in-india-causes-effects-and-how-to-control-it
