State of the World Population 2025: The Real Fertility Crisis

Context

India’s population has reached an anticipated 146.39 crore by April 2025, as per the United Nations report titled “State of the World Population 2025: The Real Fertility Crisis.”

India’s Status

• • Current Population Status: India is the world’s most populous country With 146.39 crore people, surpassing China (141.61 crore).
  • Decline in Fertility Rate: TFR is now 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1.
    • Among the states that had fertility rates higher than national average had been Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.9), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), Jharkhand (2.26), and Manipur (2.2).

• Demographic Composition:

• • Working-age population (15–64 years): 68%
  • Children (0–14 years): 24%
  • Youth (10–24 years): 26%
  • Elderly (65+ years): 7% (predicted to rise)

What is the Real Fertility Crisis?

• The actual fertility crisis lies not in overpopulation or underpopulation, but in the incapacity of individuals to obtain their reproductive goals.
• It demands reproductive company—the liberty to make knowledgeable choices regarding sex, contraception, and family planning.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

• The average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years. 
• A TFR of 2.1 is considered the substitute ratio needed to keep a stable population.

Reasons for Population Decline

• Access to Reproductive Healthcare: Contraceptive use and maternal health services have extended.
• Female Education & Empowerment: Increased female literacy and staff participation delay childbirth.
• Urbanization: Urban life reduces family size because of value and space constraints.
• Economic Uncertainty: Rising value of living and activity instability discourage big families.

Significance of the Population decline

• Population Stabilization: A TFR of 2.0 suggests India is coming near population stabilization, which could ease pressure on natural resources, public services, and the environment.
• Improved Maternal health: Fewer child births per woman, coupled with delayed age of marriage, cause lower maternal mortality, better child care, and more healthy households.
• Women Empowerment: Lower fertility rates replicate higher education levels, labour participation, and more autonomy amongst women, leading to higher social and economic outcomes.

Related concerns

• Ageing Population: A rise in the elderly population will increase the dependency on the working population, concerning multiplied consciousness on pension, healthcare, and social welfare systems.
• Potential for Skewed Sex Ratios: In positive regions, fertility reduction without tackling gender bias can exacerbate sex-selective practices, leading to imbalanced sex ratios.
• Demographic Imbalance: States with massive fertility variations, potentially leading to interstate migration, cultural shifts, and useful resource pressure in low-TFR states.

Global scenario

• In Japan the average age is over 48 years. This has brought about prolonged economic stagnation, shrinking staff, and increased public spending on pensions and healthcare.
• China’s one-child policy, enforced from 1979 to 2015, notably diminished the delivery price, leading to a swiftly growing older population.
• South Korea has one of the world’s lowest fertility costs, at zero.78 as of 2022. 

Conclusion

• India stands at a demographic crossroads. The decline in fertility is a testimony to social progress in education, healthcare, and gender empowerment. 
• However, as the focus shifts from population control to reproductive rights and demographic balance, India has to put together for a future that balances economic productivity, social aid systems, and individual reproductive choices.

Source: The Hindu

Mains PYQ

Q. Discuss the main objectives of Population Education and point out the measures to achieve them in India in detail. (2021)

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