India: Fertility Rate Falls Below Replacement Level, Population Reaches 1.46 Billion

India's population reaches 146.39 crore, fertility rate falls below replacement level: UN report

Key Highlights from the UN Report

Population size: India's population has reached approximately 146.39 crore (1.4639 billion) as of April 2025, making it the most populous country in the world.

Fertility rate: The total fertility rate (TFR) has declined to 1.9 births per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1. This means that, on average, Indian women are having fewer children than needed to maintain the population size over generations, excluding migration.

Demographic trends: Despite the declining fertility rate, India's youth population remains large:

• 24% aged 0-14
• 17% aged 10-19
• 26% aged 10-24
• 68% in the working-age group (15-64)
• 7% aged 65 and above

Future projections: India's population is expected to peak at around 1.7 billion in about 40 years before starting to decline.

Key factors: The decline in fertility is attributed to improved access to education, reproductive healthcare, women's empowerment, and financial pressures.

Conclusions

Demographic dividend: With a high proportion of working-age people, India has the potential for economic growth if employment and policy measures are favorable.

Aging population: The share of elderly people is expected to rise as life expectancy increases.

Policy focus: The UN report emphasizes the need to shift from concerns about low fertility to ensuring people can achieve their reproductive goals through informed choice and better access to family planning.