India’s population is estimated to reach 1.46 billion in 2025, continuing to be the highest in the world. This comes from a new United Nations demographic report which also reveals that the country’s total fertility rate has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1 signaling a significant demographic shift. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India is currently 2.0 children per woman. This means that on average, a woman in India would be expected to have 2 children during her childbearing years (typically ages 15-49). This rate has remained constant since 2020, according to the Sample Registration System (SRS) report for 2021.
According to the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, one in three adult Indians (36 per cent) face unintended pregnancies, while 30 per cent experience unfulfilled desire for having either more or fewer children.
Notably, in 1960, when India’s population was about 436 million, the average woman had nearly six children. In the 1970s, women on average had nearly five children. Now, they have close to two. This milestone reflects progress in health and education, but masks regional diversity in the Total Fertility Rate, which is the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime.
The 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) report underscores that the real crisis lies not in population size, but in the widespread challenges to support individuals’ right to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have.
Despite the slowing birth rate, India’s youth population remains significant, with 24 per cent in the age bracket of 0-14, 17 per cent in 10-19, and 26 per cent in 10-24. The country’s 68 per cent of the population is of working age (15-64), providing a potential demographic dividend, if matched by adequate employment and policy support. The elderly population (65 and older) currently stands at seven per cent, a figure that is expected to rise in the coming decades as life expectancy improves. As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women.
According to the report, India is now the world’s most populous nation, with nearly 1.5 billion people - a number expected to grow to about 1.7 billion before it begins to fall, around 40 years from now. The elderly population currently stands at seven per cent, a figure that is expected to rise in the coming decades as life expectancy improves.
Behind these numbers are the stories of millions of couples who decided to start or expand their families, as well as the stories of women who had few choices about whether, when or how often they became pregnant, the report said. The elderly population currently stands at seven per cent, a figure that is expected to rise in the coming decades as life expectancy improves.
As of 2025, life expectancy at birth is projected to be 71 years for men and 74 years for women.
According to report, in 1960, when India’s population was about 436 million, the average woman had nearly six children. Back then, women had less control over their bodies and lives than they do today. Fewer than 1 in 4 used some form of contraception, and fewer than 1 in 2 attended primary school , the report said. But in the coming decades, educational attainment increased, access to reproductive healthcare improved, and more women gained a voice in the decisions that affected their lives. The average woman in India now has about two children.
While women in India, and every other country, have more rights and choices today than their mothers or grandmothers did, they still have a long way to go before they are empowered to have the number of children they want, if any, when they want them.
The UN report placed India in a group of middle-income countries undergoing rapid demographic change, with population doubling time now estimated at 79 years.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, titled, ‘The Real Fertility Crisis’, states that India’s adolescent fertility rate remains high at 14.1 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in comparison to countries like China (6.6), Sri Lanka (7.3), and Thailand (8.3). This high rate of fertility amongst adolescents endangers both maternal and child health and affects education and employment outcomes. Infertility remains under-prioritised in India and needs to be considered for inclusion under the Government’s health insurance schemes. An estimated 27.5 million Indian couples face infertility, yet public sector services are limited, while private care remains expensive and largely confined to urban centres. Social stigma is particularly harsh on women, though fertility challenges affect both sexes as per the report.
Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative said that the answer lies in greater reproductive agency - a person’s ability to make free and informed 150 per cent choices about sex, contraception and starting a family.
The findings were shared in UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, The Real Fertility Crisis, which is an online poll conducted across 14 countries including India with 14,000 respondents out of which 1,048 adults were from India. The study listed financial limitations as one of the biggest barriers to reproductive freedom with 38 per cent of the respondents in India saying financial limitations are stopping them from having the families they want. Job insecurity (21 per cent), housing constraints (22 per cent), and the lack of reliable childcare (18 per cent) are making parenthood feel out of reach, the report said.
Also, health barriers like poor general wellbeing (15 per cent), infertility (13 per cent), and limited access to pregnancy-related care (14 per cent) add further strain, the report said.
The UNFPA said many are also holding back due to growing anxiety about the future - from climate change to political and social instability while 19 per cent faced partner or family pressure to have fewer children than they personally wanted. The SOWP 2025 underlined millions of individuals are not able to realise their real fertility goals.
“This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation. And, the answer lies in greater reproductive agency - a person’s ability to make free and informed 150 per cent choices about sex, contraception and starting a family,” the report said.
It said many people, especially women, still face significant barriers to making free and informed decisions about their reproductive lives and significant disparities persist across regions and states.
The report said states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh continue to experience high fertility rates, while others, like Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, have sustained below-replacement fertility.
“This duality reflects differences in economic opportunities, access to healthcare, education levels, and prevailing gender and social norms,” it said.
“India has made significant progress in lowering fertility rates - from nearly five children per woman in 1970 to about two today - thanks to improved education and access to reproductive healthcare,” said Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA India representative.
“This has led to major reductions in maternal mortality, meaning million more mothers are alive today, raising children and building communities. Yet, deep inequalities persist across states, castes, and income groups. The real demographic dividend comes when everyone has the freedom and means to make informed reproductive choices. India has a unique opportunity to show how reproductive rights and economic prosperity can advance together,” she said.
