Elon Musk Draws Attention To India’s Declining Birth Rate

NEW DELHI – SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has drawn attention to India’s declining birth rate, noting that the country’s fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level needed to maintain long-term population stability.

In a post on X, Musk wrote, “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 reported that India’s total fertility rate has declined from 2.3 to 1.9 children per woman over the past decade, falling below the replacement threshold of 2.1 for the first time.

The post also noted that Delhi’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.2, lower than that of Finland.

The decline was also highlighted in the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population Report, which placed India’s fertility rate at 1.9 births per woman.

Despite the slowdown in births, India remains the world’s most populous country with more than 1.46 billion people, having overtaken China in 2023.

Demographers have attributed falling fertility rates in many parts of India to rising education levels, urbanization, increased workforce participation among women, and changing family preferences. (IANS)