Predicting total population in India: A Box-Jenkins ARIMA approach

Employing annual time series data on total population in India from 1960 to 2017, we model and forecast total population over the next 3 decades using the Box – Jenkins ARIMA technique. Diagnostic tests show that Indian annual total population data is I (2). Based on both the AIC and Theil’s U, the study presents the ARIMA (1, 2, 3) model. The diagnostic tests further confirm that the presented model is stable and quite acceptable. The results of the study reveal that total population in India will continue to sharply rise in the next three decades, thereby posing a threat to both natural and non-renewable resources. In order to deal with the threats posed by a large population in India, the study recommends family planning practices amongst other policy prescriptions