Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 8: Billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX chief Elon Musk has spotlighted India's rapidly declining birth rate, drawing attention to a demographic trend that experts say could reshape the country's future population dynamics.

Responding to recent fertility data on social media platform X, Musk noted that India's birth rate has now fallen below the level required to sustain long-term population stability. He further observed that fertility rates among the country's highly educated population had dipped below replacement levels years ago.

The comments came after statistics shared by media outlet AF Post indicated that India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped to 1.9 children per woman, falling beneath the replacement threshold of 2.1 for the first time in the nation's history. Over the past decade, the country's fertility rate has declined significantly from 2.3 births per woman to 1.9.

The report also highlighted sharp regional variations, noting that the national capital, Delhi, has recorded a fertility rate of just 1.2 children per woman—lower than that of several developed nations, including Finland.

The demographic shift was further examined in a recent analysis published by The Economist, which suggested that India's population growth may slow more rapidly than previously projected and could eventually enter a phase of decline in the coming decades.

Similar findings were outlined in the latest State of World Population Report released by the United Nations Population Fund. According to the report, India's fertility rate has now fallen below the replacement level needed for each generation to maintain the size of the population in the absence of migration.

While a lower fertility rate is often associated with improvements in healthcare, education and economic development, demographic experts note that sustained declines can eventually lead to ageing populations, shrinking workforces and increased pressure on social support systems.

Despite the slowdown in birth rates, India remains the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.46 billion people. The nation surpassed China in 2023 to become the most populous country globally.

The UNFPA report acknowledged India's progress in expanding access to education and healthcare services but also pointed to persistent social and economic disparities. Issues such as gender inequality, maternal health challenges and uneven development continue to affect millions of people across different regions of the country.

The agency also identified early marriage and adolescent pregnancies as significant contributors to maternal mortality among younger women, particularly those under the age of 24.

Demographers have long linked declining fertility rates in India to several structural changes, including rising levels of education, rapid urbanisation, greater participation of women in the workforce and shifting attitudes toward marriage and family size. Increasing living costs and evolving lifestyle preferences have also encouraged many families to have fewer children than previous generations.

As India navigates this demographic transition, policymakers and researchers are closely monitoring how lower birth rates may influence the country's economic growth, labour markets and social welfare systems in the decades ahead.