A report released by the United Nations has shown that India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous nation, with almost 3 million more people than its neighbour by the middle of this year. According to the State of World Population Report of the United Nations Population Fund, India's population by mid-year is estimated at 1.4286 billion, against 1.4257 billion for China – 2.9 million fewer.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The United States is a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million as of the end of June, the data showed in a report that reflects information available until February. </span><br />