Commuters cross the platform after disembarking a local train at the railway station in Mumbai, India, 12 May 2026. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to use public transportation to reduce fuel use amid disruption caused by the Middle East conflict. Photo by DIVYAKANT SOLANKI / EPA
May 19 (Asia Today) -- India is increasingly shifting toward pro-birth policies despite already being the world's most populous country, as concerns grow over falling fertility rates and long-term demographic decline.
India's total fertility rate fell to 2.0 births per woman in a 2019-2021 government survey, below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain the population over time, according to Reuters.
The decline marks a sharp drop from the country's fertility rate of 3.4 in 1992-1993, a change researchers attribute to greater contraceptive use and rising levels of female education.
In response, several Indian states aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have begun promoting larger families through direct financial incentives.
