Demographic destiny

India has a limited window of growth

Last week, the United Nations (UN) released the “World Population Prospects” report, which, among other things, estimates the future path of demographics in the world as well as makes predictions for countries and regions. The report argues the world will continue to see an increase in population, which will cross 10 billion, till the early 2080s; after that, an aggregate decline will set in. This overall trend, however, conceals considerable regional and national variation. Much of the population growth in the later years of this period, for example, will happen in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Many of