India, June 7 -- India's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen below the replacement threshold for the first time, according to the Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2024, published by the office of the registrar general and census commissioner under the Union ministry of home affairs.

This means that the total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, is now below the level required to maintain a stable population over time.

India had a population of 360 million in 1950, when the average woman gave birth to six children. Today, the country has a population of 1.45 billion. It overtook China in 2023 to become the world's most populous nation and has continu...