Counting people isn’t exactly a breeze, but in 2023 the UN confirmed a global plot twist: India now has more people than China. For decades, China held the population crown, but years of the one-child policy curbed its growth, giving India the edge.
It’s a milestone that undoubtedly reshapes the world’s demographic map, but how did both countries swell to over a billion residents each? Click through this gallery to find out.