India’s Falling Birth Rate Crisis

January 5, 2026

The government has announced that the census will begin in the country this year. The data will be released after the census is completed next year. The government will then formulate its welfare programs based on this data. However, another crisis, which previously confronted China, is now facing India. The crisis is that the birth rate in the country has fallen due to the desire for family planning. It was projected that India would surpass China in terms of population.

But we have fallen short of the fertility rate needed to maintain a balanced population. In China, the birth rate has fallen so low that they have had to abandon their active family planning policy and the slogan of “one family, one child.” Although China formally abandoned the one-child policy, most people are still not willing to have more children. No matter how economically powerful China may be, its population is aging prematurely. In 2024, 9.54 million children were born in China.

This is half the number compared to a decade ago.For three years, China’s population has been continuously declining. From January 1st of this year, China has decided to increase taxes on contraceptive products. Contraceptive medicines will become more expensive as a 13 percent tax has been imposed on them. Meanwhile, tax exemptions have been granted for childcare and elder care. India is also facing a similar situation. Due to the pressure of education, job insecurity, expensive medical treatment, and economic insecurity, Indian families are hesitant to have more than one child, and the trend of live-in relationships has increased in the country.