Elon Musk Flags India’s Falling Birth Rate as Fertility Drops Below Replacement Level
New Delhi — Elon Musk has drawn attention to India’s falling birth rate, noting that the country’s fertility rate has dropped below the replacement level needed to maintain population stability.
In a post on X, the SpaceX CEO said, “India’s birth rate has fallen below replacement. Among those most educated, India’s birth rate fell below replacement many years ago.”
Musk was responding to data shared by media outlet AF Post, which said India’s total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement threshold of 2.1 children per woman for the first time in the country’s history. According to the post, India’s fertility rate declined from 2.3 to 1.9 over the past decade.
The post also said Delhi’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.2, lower than Finland’s.
The AF Post report cited a June 4 article published by The Economist, which argued that India’s population could begin shrinking in the coming years and may decline faster than previously expected.
The trend was also highlighted in the United Nations Population Fund’s 2025 State of World Population Report.
The report said India’s total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9 births per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1. A fertility rate below replacement level means that, without migration, a population will eventually begin to decline as each generation becomes smaller than the one before it.
Despite the decline, India remains the world’s most populous country, with a population of more than 1.46 billion. India overtook China in 2023 to become the most populous nation.
The UNFPA said India has made significant progress in health care and education, but major challenges remain. The agency pointed to persistent social and economic inequalities, as well as maternal mortality and gender discrimination in several parts of the country.
The organization also identified early marriage and teenage pregnancies as key factors contributing to maternal deaths among women under 24.
Experts have long said rising education levels, urbanization, increased workforce participation among women and changing family preferences have contributed to declining fertility rates across many regions of India. (Source: IANS)
