UPSC Prelims 2008 Q65: Geography – Population & Demography
For India, China, the UK and the USA,
which one of the following is the correct sequence of the median age of their populations?
- (a) China < India < UK < USA
- (b) India < China < USA < UK
- (c) China < India < USA < UK
- (d) India < China < UK < USA
Answer: (b) India < China < USA < UK
Explanation
Comparing the median age across four countries
Median age reflects a population's overall age structure, varying significantly between developing and developed nations.
| Point | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| India | A young population, with the lowest median age among these four |
| China | An ageing but still relatively younger population than UK/USA at the time, due to its one-child-policy-driven demographic shift beginning to show, but still below UK/USA |
| USA | An older population than China/India, but with a relatively younger median age than the UK among developed nations at the time |
| UK | The oldest median age among these four, reflecting a long-industrialized, ageing demographic |
Resulting sequence (youngest to oldest):
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 (youngest) | India |
| 2 | China |
| 3 | USA |
| 4 (oldest) | UK |
Answer: (b) India < China < USA < UK.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. 'China < India' reverses the correct order; India's median age is lower than China's.
- (b) CORRECT. India < China < USA < UK is the correct increasing order of median age.
- (c) Incorrect. 'USA < UK' is reversed at the end; UK has an older median age than USA.
- (d) Incorrect. 'UK < USA' at the end reverses the correct final ordering.
Key point
The correct increasing median-age sequence is India < China < USA < UK, reflecting India's young population through to the UK's older, long-industrialized demographic.
Remember
Median age sequence (youngest to oldest): India < China < USA < UK.
Common mistakes
- Reversing the India-China order, forgetting India's population is younger overall.
- Reversing the USA-UK order at the older end of the spectrum.
- Not having a sense of relative demographic ageing across developing vs. developed nations.
Exam tip
Developing nations (India, China) have younger median ages than developed ones (USA, UK) — and among developing nations, India is younger than China; among developed ones, USA is younger than UK.
Sources
- United Nations Population Division — World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision (median age)
- Central Intelligence Agency — The World Factbook (People and Society: median age)