Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk has flagged concerns over India's fertility rate and claimed that the birth rate in the country has "fallen below replacement".
Musk, who is the founder of SpaceX, quoted a data by media outlet AF Post to back his claims. The post said the total fertility rate (TFR) in India has fallen to 1.9 from 2.3 in just a decade. It also pointed out that Delhi's TFR is 1.2, which is even lower than that of Finland.
"India’s birth rate has fallen below replacement," the businessman, who is world's wealthiest man with a net worth of USD 839 billion, said in a post on X (previously Twitter). "Among those most educated, India’s birth rate fell below replacement many years ago."
Concern over India's fertility rate
In its 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said India's TFR has declined to 1.9 births per woman, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. This shows that Indian women are having fewer children that what is needed to maintain the population size from one generation to the next, without migration.
India, which has a population of over 1.46 billion, surpassed China in 2023 to become the world's most populous nation.
The UNFPA report stated that TFR remains high in Bihar (3.0), Meghalaya (2.9), and Uttar Pradesh (2.7). On the other hand, the TFR remains on the lower side in states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Delhi. It also said that the average life expectancy in India among men is 71 years, while for women, it is 74 years.
Why fertility rate is declining in India?
India's fertility rate has not been uniform, as TFR is lower in southern states, while it remains higher in northern states. There have been various reasons for a decline in India's TFR. The first and foremost is higher education levels, as this has created more awareness among people, particularly the women, over family planning.
Urban migration is another reason for a low fertility rate, as people in cities face higher living costs and smaller homes, which is another reason why couples avoid having a larger family. Additionally, factors such as delayed parenthood, rising cost of child-rearing and greater access to contraception are also reasons behind India's declining TFR.
"Although its fertility rate has declined over the years, India has a population of well over a billion, and wide inequalities persist, despite significant improvements in health and education. Maternal mortality and gender discrimination remain high. Early marriage and pregnancy contribute to excessive maternal death among women under the age of 24. The low status of women, and the skewed sex ratio at birth, remain challenges," the UNFPA said on its website.
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