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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Amy Hawkins Senior China correspondent, and Amrit Dhillon in New Delhi

Life at 25 in India and China: money worries, hard work and no plans for family

Ranjan Kujur and Xue Pengyu
Dancer Ranjan Kujur (left) lives in Jharkhand, India, and arts college worker Xue Pengyu lives in Anyang, China. Composite: Ranjan Kujur/Xue Pengyu

India has become the world’s most populous country, according to the United Nations’ latest projections, knocking China off the top spot for the first time since the UN began keeping records.

Both countries are facing significant demographic challenges, be it dealing with the legacy of a disastrous one-child policy and ageing population or working out how to take advantage of a booming youth cohort while managing huge disparities in the growth rates of different states.

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