SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has highlighted a significant demographic shift in India, noting that the country's birth rate has fallen below replacement for the first time in its history.
According to data cited by Musk, India's fertility rate has declined from 2.3 to 1.9 in just a decade, with Delhi's fertility rate now sitting at 1.2, lower than Finland's.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report revealed that India's total fertility rate has declined to 1.9 births per woman, falling below the replacement level of 2.1.
India's current population is over 1.46 billion, surpassing China in 2023 to become the world's most populous nation.
Despite significant improvements in health and education, wide inequalities persist, with maternal mortality and gender discrimination remaining high.
